Maltese armed forces have taken control of a merchant ship that was reportedly hijacked by migrants rescued off the coast of Libya.
Italian interior minister Matteo Salvini, renowned for his hard-line stance against illegal migration, immediately pledged to block any attempts by the boat to dock in Italy, alleging that the Elhiblu 1 had “suddenly changed course” around six nautical miles (11.1km) from the Libyan coast and begun heading north.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Salvini used his Facebook page to post a strongly worded rebuke to the migrants, saying: “These are not migrants in distress, they are pirates. They will only see Italy through a telescope.”
The Guardian adds that Salvini told one reporter sarcastically: “Poor castaways, who hijack a merchant ship that saved them because they want to decide the route of the cruise.”
The BBC reports that the Maltese Armed Forces said in a statement that they had been in communication with the captain, who was not in control of the vessel, and was being forced to head for Malta.
According to local paper MaltaToday, the tanker has now docked at Boiler Wharf in Valletta, the country’s capital, and 108 people have been taken off the ship, including the alleged hijackers. “Four men, believed to have been behind the ship's takeover, have been arrested. They were seen handcuffed and escorted away in a police van.”
In a Twitter post, Doctors Without Borders described the situation as “desperate and dangerous”, saying it highlighted “the broken system at sea and the despair of vulnerable people”.
-
Strava vs. Garmin: the row splitting the running communityUnder The Radar The legal dispute between the two titans of exercise tech is like ‘Mom and Dad fighting’
-
Bad Bunny: Why MAGA is incensedFeature The NFL announced Latino artist Bad Bunny as the Super Bowl halftime headliner, sparking MAGA outrage
-
Supreme Court: Judging 20 years of RobertsFeature Two decades after promising to “call balls and strikes,” Chief Justice John Roberts faces scrutiny for reshaping American democracy
-
Sanae Takaichi: Japan’s Iron Lady set to be the country’s first woman prime ministerIn the Spotlight Takaichi is a member of Japan’s conservative, nationalist Liberal Democratic Party
-
Russia is ‘helping China’ prepare for an invasion of TaiwanIn the Spotlight Russia is reportedly allowing China access to military training
-
Interpol arrests hundreds in Africa-wide sextortion crackdownIN THE SPOTLIGHT A series of stings disrupts major cybercrime operations as law enforcement estimates millions in losses from schemes designed to prey on lonely users
-
China is silently expanding its influence in American citiesUnder the Radar New York City and San Francisco, among others, have reportedly been targeted
-
How China uses 'dark fleets' to circumvent trade sanctionsThe Explainer The fleets are used to smuggle goods like oil and fish
-
Russia's 'shared values' visaThe Explainer The 'anti-woke' scheme is aimed at foreigners who reject LGBTQ+ rights and 'non-traditional' values – and who can provide Moscow with online clout and skilled workers
-
One year after mass protests, why are Kenyans taking to the streets again?today's big question More than 60 protesters died during demonstrations in 2024
-
What happens if tensions between India and Pakistan boil over?TODAY'S BIG QUESTION As the two nuclear-armed neighbors rattle their sabers in the wake of a terrorist attack on the contested Kashmir region, experts worry that the worst might be yet to come
