THE near month-long stand-off between Malta and a merchant ship carrying 27 rescued refugees will discourage shipping companies from carrying out their international obligation to save lives at sea, refugee-rescuers have warned.

The Etienne, a cargo ship owned by the Danish shipping company Maersk, picked up 26 men and one woman from a wooden boat in the central Mediterranean on August 5, two days after the refugees had escaped from Libya.

The refugees had contacted the migrant distress hotline operated by the Alarm Phone activist network prior to their rescue.

At the time, the boat’s GPS position was inside Malta’s search-and-rescue zone. But Malta and Italy ignored Alarm Phone’s repeated calls and emails about the distress case.

On the afternoon of August 4, the Moonbird, a reconnaissance plane operated by German refugee-rescue organisation Sea Watch, spotted the refugees’ boat and contacted the Etienne, which was 11 miles away, for assistance.

Since the rescue, the Etienne has remained in international waters near the island nation, waiting for a port to disembark.

“This longest stand-off before a European harbour is yet another low point in Europe’s disastrous actions in the Mediterranean,” an Alarm Phone activist told the Morning Star today.

“Malta is refusing disembarkation to send a message not only to the rescued and the Etienne, but to all vessels in the Mediterranean: If you rescue distressed migrants, you will be punished.

“We should then not be surprised that people in distress die as commercial actors try to evade their duty to rescue. Malta and other EU member states incentivise deadly forms of neglect at sea.

“We call on Malta to cease breaching maritime laws and human rights conventions and to finally allow the 27 people to land. Stop violating their right to claim asylum and find safety in Europe.”

The Astral, a rescue ship operated by Spanish charity Open Arms, passed the Etienne late on Wednesday night while on its way to the central Mediterranean.

“We could see the people on the bow,” Open Arms activist Riccardo Gati told the Star today from the Astral.

“We called out to them to ask about the condition of the rescued, to see if they need any support from our side, or if they needed any medical assistance from the doctor we have onboard.

“We didn’t get much information, unfortunately.

“This is a really sad situation. It represents how bad things have become and why there needs to be a co-ordinated search-and-rescue (SAR) operation in the Mediterranean.

“In the past, before NGOs were being criminalised, the Italian coastguard used to direct SAR operations between us and merchant vessels.

“But now European governments do not respond to us and do not respect their international obligations. And of course, shipping companies are under pressure to deliver their cargo on time and have to pay fees if they’re late.”

The Sea Watch 4, a rescue ship operated by Sea Watch and Doctors Without Borders, also passed by the Etienne this afternoon. It, too, has requested a port of safety for the 201 refugees the crew rescued in the central Mediterranean last week. 

“The message is clear: 27 people have waited for 21 days in front of a European Member State for a Place of Safety, which they have the right to according to international law,” Sea Watch spokesman Felix Weiss told the Star today.

“The freedom and dignity of these individuals are at stake and nobody seems to take a stance here.”

Cornelia Ernst, MEP for the left-wing German party Die Linke and a member of the European Parliament’s civil liberties, justice and home affairs committee, told the Star today that jeopardising the health and well-being of refugees in such an arbitrary way is completely unacceptable.

“It is outrageous that such incidents keep reoccurring on the borders of Europe, a continent that prides itself on its humanitarian values,” Ms Ernst said.  

“Time and time again, people who do the right thing by rescuing human lives face obstacles. It is plain scandalous that rescuers are obstructed rather than celebrated and that people do not receive the aid and humane treatment that they deserve, despite the public and political pressure to end such dehumanising practices.

“The European Commission has a responsibility to act immediately in such cases and engage with the national authorities of Malta to facilitate an immediate intake. 

“This is not the first time such an incident has occurred and the European institutions need to step up their efforts to make Europe a safe harbour for refugees fleeing from violence and political oppression.”

Ms Ernst said she would use her position in the European Parliament to make sure that an investigation into such incidents is set up.

The Maltese government and coastguard are yet to respond to the Star’s requests for comment.