Brussels, 31/08/2009 (Agence Europe) - On Sunday, the Italian authorities sent 75 Libyan immigrants back towards the Libyan coast, after intercepting them around 40 miles off Sicily. The Ansa press agency announced on 30 August that the operation had been carried out under the terms of an agreement signed with Tripoli. The AFP press agency also indicated on Sunday, that the Maltese army had spotted this attempted illegal entry on Saturday in its own territorial waters by way of a European Frontex mission helicopter, which was being employed in the fight against illegal immigration. On this occasion, the Maltese army decided to transfer four people in need of medical attention to La Valetta. The vessel carrying other passengers then resumed its voyage towards Italy. According to calculations made by Ansa, a total of one thousand immigrants have been sent back to Libya from Italy since the beginning of May. The United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) has several times condemned the sending back of migrants to Libya because asylum seekers may be among the migrants. In July, the Commission made a request for information from Italy regarding methods employed for intercepting migrants at sea and in order to remind Rome that it has certain legal principles to respect in such circumstances (EUROPE 9945). The European Commission explained that Italy has still not provided a response in this connection. (B.C./transl.rh)