The Aquarius and its 58 survivors spent five days waiting in international waters off the coast of Malta under poor weather conditions. On Sunday morning, 30 September 2018, the strong winds and choppy water finally abated and allowed for the safe and secure transfer of all 58 people – and a dog – to Maltese authorities. The survivors were then disembarked in Malta and will be distributed to four European countries in the coming days: France, Germany, Portugal and Spain.

Following the transfer, the Aquarius set course for Marseille, France in order to address its flag registration after the news a week prior that Italy had pressured Panama into removing the Aquarius from its register. Without the Aquarius, there are no search & rescue vessels in the area to conduct rescue operations and witness to the grave humanitarian needs on the Central Mediterranean. Meanwhile, people continue to flee Libya and die attempting to cross the world’s deadliest maritime route.