According to the media, a boat with migrants was already off the coast of Malta. Then it was stopped by the Coast Guard and sent to Italy.
According to media reports, the Malta Coast Guard refused to accept an inflatable boat with about 101 migrants on board, which were already in the sovereign waters of the island state, and sent them to Italy. Under international law, Malta had to allow the landing of people because they were already in Maltese territorial waters.
Since 9 April, Italy and Malta had no longer allowed rescue boats with refugees into their ports owing to the threat of coronavirus spreading. Both countries have already been criticized by the UN for their refugee policies.