Search and Rescue is the search that is done to provide aid to the people who are feeling distressed or any sort of obvious danger. The general field of SAR encompasses many sub-fields that are generally acknowledged by the sort of terrain over which the search has been conducted. The types of terrain include ground search and rescue, which also includes the use of dogs for search and rescue. This is a kind of search and rescue that is done in the urban settings. Other kinds include the mountain rescue, combat search and rescue that is done on the battlefield and finally the air-sea rescue that is done over water. In this paper, particular importance will be given with respect to the last kind of SAR. In Malta, the responsibility of SAR pertaining to search and rescue comes under the Armed Forces of Malta. This is conducted by the maritime patrol aircraft, vessels that are coordinated and helicopters with control and command by the Rescue Coordination Center (SAR Training Center, 2004). In intimate collaboration with the U.S. Coast Guard, the AFM also operates an SAR Training Center where International Students are trained for Maritime SAR Mission Coordination and Planning (SAR Seamanship Reference Manual, 2000). Till now, over 30 students from around 15 countries, which includes Cameroon, Albania, Kenya, Equatorial Guinea and Croatia have attended this course. It has also been reported that Malta is holding talks with Libya so that both the countries could make the SAR cooperation among each other better (MaltaMedia News, 2000).

The issue of illegal immigration through the Mediterranean Sea has been an issue that has been considered many times and this is because this sea and the Member States have been used by many illegal immigrants to find their way through Europe, even though they are always aware of the legal implications of this...

According to most of the reports, the Migratory flow has been of a mixed nature. This means that there are some people who are genuinely seeking asylum; meanwhile the others only want to move out of Africa to Europe in search for better jobs, but do so illegally. These facts have acknowledged by the migratory flow that has been experienced by Malta since the year 2002. Most of these migrants are illegal who have applied or are applying for international protection. Given these statistics, the asylum recognition rate has risen up to about 50% or more. A lot of pressure, which is more or less disproportionate and substantial, has been placed on the Maltese authorities because of illegal migration. The pressure is both in terms of asylum determination and reception. On the other hand, these challenges have been addressed, the primary points of concern that the Maltese authorities hold are in terms of long-term accommodation and integration of those who have been acknowledged as beneficiaries of international protection, but who do not spend on these illegal migrants (Arteaga, 2007).
At more than one occasion, the Maltese government has complained to the European Union about these illegal migrants but they have not been given any satisfying solution or assistance for this problem. The Armed Forces of Malta that are carrying out SAR have been detaining these illegal migrants in many refugee camps in Malta. Most of these refugee camps are located near Albert Town and Hal Far.

It has been reported that most of the people from Africa and Middle East who try to migrate illegally throw their passports in the Mediterranean Sea and this is what makes it very hard and laborious for the authorities to verify their identity. Almost half of these people do not have the right to stay in Malta, because they are illegal, but they do…