From the Times of Malta:

Migrants refusing help from Maltese patrol boats

Monday, May 4, 2015, 13:18

Maltese patrol boats have not been picking up migrants at sea because the migrants themselves refuse to be rescued by Maltese boats, the commander of the AFM’s maritime unit, Lt Col Andrew Mallia has been quoted as saying by the Italian newspaper La Repubblica.

He said that whenever Maltese patrol boats intercepted migrants’ boats the migrants invariably refused help.

He explained that the migrants did not want to come to Malta because that would make it difficult for them to proceed to Northern Europe.