VALLETTA, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- Migrants rescued in three separate search and rescue operations were relocated from Malta to France and Portugal, the Maltese government said on Friday.
The relocations came after an ad hoc agreement was struck between the European Commission, Malta and other EU members.
The government said that the group of migrants relocated to Portugal was rescued in two different operations. Some had been rescued by the charity ship Alan Kurdi and brought to Malta by the Armed Forces of Malta (AFM), while the second group was rescued in a separate operation by the AFM. The rescues happened on July 7.
Another group of migrants who will start a new life in France had been rescued by the Ocean Viking and brought to Malta on board an AFM vessel on Aug. 23.
No details were given on nationalities or the number of people that were relocated to France and Portugal.
The government said the immigrants were assisted by the Maltese authorities, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and officials from the embassies of Portugal and France in Malta.
