LIBYA
Refugee Pirates
More than 100 migrants attempting to cross the Mediterranean from North Africa to Europe hijacked a merchant vessel that rescued them off the coast of Libya and demanded to be taken to Malta.
The migrants took over the ship after being told they would be returned to Libya, the BBC reported. But Malta’s military said it would not allow the ship to enter its waters and Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini declared that the hijacking turned the would-be refugees into “pirates.”
The present location of the cargo ship is unknown and details about the rescue operation are scanty, the BBC said. Salvini identified the ship as the Turkish oil tanker El Hiblu 1, according to the Associated Press.
The incident comes as the European Union is preparing to end its naval patrols of the Mediterranean, which have saved tens of thousands of people but have drawn criticism from Salvini – who claims the operation has continued to bring migrants to Italian shores.
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