A sea rescue vessel carrying 141 men, women and children saved at sea has been denied entry into Malta and Italy, NGO Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said on Monday.
The MV Aquarius has been stuck at sea since Friday, when it rescued migrants attempting to cross the Mediterranean on two separate small wooden boats.
Libyan maritime authorities have informed the ship’s crew that it must find somewhere else to disembark the migrants, and on Sunday, the NGO, which jointly operates the vessel with SOS Mediterranee, called on European governments to help take the 141 people to safety.
Hopes of an amicable resolution to this latest migration stand-off however appeared to have dissipated by Monday morning, with MSF saying that maritime authorities in both Malta and Italy had denied the Aquarius permission to disembark its passengers.
“Aquarius has now reached a standby position exactly between Malta and Italy and is awaiting further guidance,” MSF said in a tweet.
Italy’s government was quick to make its position known.
"It can go where it wants, not in Italy!" far-right Interior Minister Matteo Salvini said on Twitter. He suggested France, Germany, Britain or Malta as potential...
