EU pushbacks of 40,000 migrants linked to 2,000 deaths Guardian probe lists Malta among culprit nations who push back asylum seekers: by enlisting private vessels to pick and return them to Libya or turning them away with directions to Italy 5 May 2021, 2:14pm by Matthew Vella EU member states used illegal operations to push back at least 40,000 asylum seekers from Europe’s borders, resulting in the death of more than 2,000 people, a probe by the Guardian newspaper has revealed. Malta is included among the culprits mentioned in the report along with EU border agency Frontex, Greece, Croatia, Italy and Spain. The Guardian’s analysis is based on reports released by UN agencies, combined with a database of incidents collected by non-governmental organisations. The report describes the pushbacks as “one of the biggest mass expulsions in decades.”