International media outlets reported that on 27 March, migrants hijacked a cargo ship in Libya waters, forcing the crew to redirect the ship towards European. Reports suggest that the crew had rescued the migrants who had attempted the crossing of the Mediterranean Sea. On 28 March, Maltese special forces seized control of the merchant ship and arrested five of the migrants on board. The rest of the group accordingly disembarked at Boiler Wharf in Senglea, near Valletta. This situation reignited tensions amid the international community regarding the migration issue. Both Malta and Italy alerted about the situation and communicated their refusal to let the ship enter their national waters. Over the past months, many NGOs have alerted about the tragic situation of migrants departing from North Africa, and most particularly about the living conditions of migrants in Libya.
Rescued migrants at sea hijack cargo ship to avoid return to Libya