REFUGEE rescuers saved the lives of more than 40 people in the central Mediterranean today, in waters the Maltese government is legally responsible for.

The crew of the activist-run Humanity 1 ship said today that the rescued were “severely weakened and exhausted after [having spent] at least five days at sea.”

SOS Humanity, the organisation which operates the ship, said that Malta once again refused to co-ordinate the rescue, despite the refugees’ overcrowded fibreglass boat being deep inside Malta's search-and-rescue (SAR) zone.

The central Mediterranean is divided up into four SAR zones between Tunisia, Libya, Malta and Italy. Each country’s maritime authorities are responsible under international law for co-ordinating rescues in those zones, but the Maltese have refused to do so with any of the NGO rescue groups since 2020.

“The survivors are now on board our rescue ship, Humanity 1, and are being cared for,” SOS Humanity said today.

“The Italian authorities assigned Bari as place of safety, almost 500 miles far away.”