Migrant rescued trying to swim one mile to Malta

A Libyan migrant was rescued in waters near Malta on Friday after he jumped off an aid ship, attempting to swim toward the shore of the island.

The migrant, whose identity remains unknown, was rescued by sailors and rescuers from the Sea-Watch 3.

He jumped in the water while several German Members of Parliament and some journalists were on board to assess the health conditions of the migrants.

The German aid group operating Sea-Watch 3 says 32 migrants were rescued from a human trafficker’s boat on December 22 and another vessel later rescued 17 others.

The Sea-Watch 3 had been appealing for days for a safe port to disembark the rescued migrants.

The aid group tweeted on Thursday it was a few nautical miles from Malta’s coasts and had permission to seek shelter from the storm.

It said European Union officials were trying to find countries which would accept the migrants. Malta and Italy have refused to accept migrants rescued by private groups.