Malta

04 August 2019; DW: A German-flagged NGO rescue ship carrying 40 migrants has been given the all-clear to dock in Malta. The vessel Alan Kurdi set sail for the Mediterranean island group after being turned away by Italian authorities.

Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat announced Saturday that 40 migrants aboard the NGO ship Alan Kurdi would be allowed to disembark in Malta, following a request from Germany.

VALLETTA, July 23 (Xinhua) -- European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker was conferred here on Tuesday with the honorary membership the National Order of Merit of the Republic of Malta.

The ceremony was held in the capital Valletta in the presence of Malta's Prime Minister Joseph Muscat and other dignitaries.

Honorary membership in the National Order of Merit is conferred to foreigners who distinguish themselves in the promotion and strengthening of international relations or who have gained the respect and gratitude of the Maltese people.

8 July 2019; DW: The 65 migrants on board the German-flagged rescue ship Alan Kurdi have been taken ashore to Malta and will be transferred to other EU member states, the Maltese government said in a statement on Sunday.  

Maltese authorities said they had rescued a further 50 migrants in the country's search and rescue zone on Sunday, after receiving a distress call. 

7 July 2019; DW: Maltese armed forces were monitoring the German-flagged rescue ship Alan Kurdi on Sunday, as the vessel was sailing toward the island nation.

"They have no permit to enter Maltese territorial waters," an army spokesman told Germany's dpa news agency.

The ship, operated by German charity Sea-Eye, has 65 migrants on board. Three of them "collapsed in the heat" and are under "acute medical care" the charity said on Twitter.

28 Mar 2019; DW: Malta's navy said that a special operations team had taken control of a tanker that was hijacked by migrants off the coast of Libya. The ship arrived at a Maltese port on Thursday morning.

The migrants had taken control of the vessel on Wednesday, and directed it north toward Europe, according to Italian and Maltese authorities.

03 Jan 2019; DW: Berlin-based Sea-Watch said conditions on the boats had become dangerous, with migrants suffering from severe sea-sickness and post-traumatic stress disorder. The vessels were denied access to ports in Malta and Italy.

German migrant rescue ship Sea-Watch 3 sent a desperate plea on Wednesday for a harbor to dock. Conditions aboard the ship have worsened, after 12 days at sea and bad weather conditions on the Mediterranean, Sea-Watch said in a statement posted on Twitter.