VALLETTA, Malta (AFP) - The Maltese military on Tuesday rescued 84 migrants from a large dinghy that was adrift and sinking some 18 nautical miles from the island, a spokesman said.

The migrants, who had alerted the authorities by satellite phone, were transferred onto a Maltese patrol boat in rough seas and taken into port.

Most of the arrivals are African refugees and migrant workers who cross the Mediterranean from Libya.

This was the first arrival of migrants on Malta after a lull of almost three weeks.

In July, more than 1,000 migrants arrived in a few days, prompting the government to pressure the European Union for assistance.