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January 10, 2019

After Weeks Stranded at Sea, Asylum Seekers Granted Access to Malta
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In the Mediterranean, the government of Malta has allowed nearly 50
asylum seekers who had been stranded at sea for weeks to come ashore on
two rescue vessels. The decision ended a 19-day standoff that saw other
European Union members deny a port of entry to the migrants, in a move
that's been blasted by human rights groups as "shameful." Aboard the
Sea-Watch 3 vessel, run by a German humanitarian group, there were
cheers Wednesday as news of an agreement to process the asylum seekers
spread.

Kim Heaton-Heather: "Two hours. Two hours. Two hours. We have a safe
port. We're going in. C'est fini."

An increasing number of asylum seekers are dying at sea, after Italy's
right-wing government moved last year to deny migrant rescue ships entry
at Italian ports.


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