NGOs say Malta broke the law by directing asylum seekers to Egypt
Malta has been accused of breaking international law after ordering a merchant ship to take rescued refugees to Egypt, despite Malta being much closer and safer.
According to a joint statement by four international groups, 23 people – who had little to no food and water with them – were rescued by the Shimanami Queen merchant vessel on September 26.
The Malta Rescue Coordination Centre (RCC), which is legally responsible for rescue missions in case of emergency, instructed the merchant vessel to take the rescued people to Egypt, according to Alarm Phone, Mediterranea Saving Humans, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and Sea-Watch.
The NGOs say Malta’s decision to direct the refugees to Egypt breached the 1951 Geneva Convention, which states that countries should not expel or return a person “to the frontiers of territories where his life of freedom would be threatened”.
Continue to article source .. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/10/20/ngos-accuse-malta-of-breaking-law-by-directing-migrants-to-egypt
