Valletta - Malta on Tuesday denied claims that it had diverted 40,000 would-be illegal immigrants to Italy in recent years.
Italian Interior Minister Roberto Maroni presented a dossier to the European Commission on Tuesday in the wake of Malta's refusal to accept refugees from a Turkish vessel.
More than 140 immigrants were left stranded off Lampedusa for three days at the end of last week, after the rescue vessel Pinar was refused entry by both Italy and Malta.