Italy will take some of the migrants aboard a rescue ship run by the German group Mission Lifeline that has been stranded near Malta for days, Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte says.
He said in a statement Tuesday that he made the pledge in a call to the prime minister of Malta. Contee added that he hoped other EU countries would follow suit.
The Lifeline has been stranded in international waters some 40 kilometres off the coast of Malta for days, after both Italy and Malta refused to allow it to dock in their ports. Both countries said the ship had acted improperly by not following the orders of the Italian command centre directing rescues at sea.
More than 200 migrants are on the ship. The impasse came after a similar standoff over another private rescue boat, the Aquarius, which was eventually taken in by Spain, 1,500 kilometres away.
Seeking end to impasse
The leader of Malta said earlier Tuesday that his island nation was working to solve the impasse.
Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said in a statement that his government aims "to prevent escalation into humanitarian crisis" by sharing the responsibility with other fellow EU nations. No details were given, and the statement did not say whether Malta would allow the vessel to dock.
The statement also said Malta planned to investigate the captain of the Lifeline, saying he had ignored instructions.
Late Monday, another ship with migrant passengers — the Danish-flagged container ship Alexander Maersk — was given permission to dock and disembark in Sicily after four days at sea.
The International Chamber of Shipping, an industry trade association, has voiced concern about Italy's crackdown on non-governmental organizations. The chamber says the move will put a greater burden on commercial merchant ships to carry out rescues and ultimately affect trade.