The captain of the MV Lifeline, the boat that recently rescued 234 migrants off the coast of Libya, appeared in court in Malta on July 2 charged with entering the country’s waters illegally and lacking the correct boat registration.

The ship docked in Malta on June 27 after a weeklong dispute between European leaders on the fate of the rescued migrants.

On Monday, July 2, the boat was confiscated by Maltese authorities and a case was brought against the boat’s captain Claus-Peter Reisch. He is accused of steering the ship into Maltese waters without the necessary registration and license.

The MV Lifeline sailed under a Dutch flag; however, according to the Dutch registry, it was registered with a yacht club. Mission Lifeline maintain that the boat was sailing with the knowledge of Dutch authorities since September 2017.

The case was adjourned until Thursday, July 5, and Reisch was released against a bail of €10,000.

Mission Lifeline released a statement addressed to the German interior minister stating that the investigation was “embarrassing” for the German government who Mission Lifeline said was “hindering maritime rescue.”

Since Friday, June 29, approximately 218 people drowned trying to cross the Mediterranean from Libya. In total, 1,405 migrants have lost their lives at sea this year. Credit: sea-eye.org via Storyful