‘It is not fair to criticize the AFM regarding the death of a 4-year-old migrant’ – Byron Camilleri
It is unfair to criticize the Armed Forces of Malta (AFM) regarding the death of a four-year-old migrant girl, because if it were not for their search and rescue efforts, many more people could have died, the Minister for the Interior Byron Camilleri. he insisted on Saturday.
“Some activists are unfairly criticizing the AFM. That boat was in the search and rescue zone of three other countries before it entered our zone, but only Malta carried out a rescue operation immediately,” he said while asking the activists why they didn’t say anything when the boat was in other rescue areas.
“If the AFM had not led its efforts as it did, we could possibly be talking about many more deaths today.”
Camilleri was speaking during an interview with Andrew Azzopardi on 103 Malta’s Heart.
He said that the AFM coordinated the rescue operation with seven other sea vessels just in time to avoid more deaths.
“For the government and for the AFM, there are no conditions when it comes to human lives,” he said.
A girl reportedly died, however, of thirst in the sea while waiting to be rescued along with other migrants earlier this month.
Four-year-old Loujin Ahmed Nasif was among a group of 60 immigrants in distress with her mother, father and sister.
said Moroccan-Italian activist Nawal Soufi Times of Malta she was following the family’s ordeal and appealing to the Maltese authorities to save them, but no one appeared.
Loujin and her mother were eventually airlifted to a hospital in Crete but the girl did not make it.
Soufi said that the girl died of thirst in her mother’s arms, and she said, “Mother, I’m thirsty”.
Soufi and the Integra Foundation of Malta are now accusing the Maltese government of failing to take action earlier that could have saved the girl’s life.
Meanwhile, several activists in Malta, the Archbishop Charles Scicluna and the president emeritus Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca took to the streets in a vigil for the girl.
Coleiro Preca said that she is disappointed that Malta was mentioned as one of the countries that “left the girl cold to die” and in a homily, Scicluna said that the parliament should give an explanation to the people about how the tragedy was allowed to happen.
And while people were debating whether the state should erect a monument in honor of Queen Elizabeth II, who had just passed away, journalist Peppi Azzopardi called on people to consider a monument for Loujin, in memory of the girl who was left to die in the sea. .
But on Saturday, the minister Camilleri praised the AFM, saying that they carried out a diligent operation.
His comments echo the AFM’s own responses to questions sent by Times of Malta the other week.
The AFM said that when they were notified of the situation, they diverted “all available assets to the rescue of irregular migrants”.
They said they diverted a merchant ship that took the migrants to the nearest place of safety, Crete, “in accordance with applicable conventions”.
The AFM said that due to the fact that the boat was still out at sea, if the ship had not been diverted immediately, “the number of victims would have been higher”.
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