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The 629 migrants, including 11 children and seven pregnant women, have been drifting in the central Mediterranean aboard the Aquarius rescue ship since Sunday, when both Italy and Malta shut their ports to it.
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| Activists protest as Italy prepares to ship migrants to Spain |
Spain unexpectedly offered on Monday to take in the migrants, who were picked up off the Libyan coast over the weekend, but the Aquarius had still not moved more than 16 hours later as the authorities finalize logistics of the trip.
Italy’s coast guard said in a statement that two Italian ships would take on board some of the migrants, easing conditions on the overcrowded Aquarius. All three ships would then sail to the Spanish port of Valencia on a voyage expected to take four days.
Doctors Without Borders (MSF), which is operating the Aquarius alongside SOS Mediterranne, urged a rethink.
“This plan would mean already exhausted rescued people would endure 4 more days travel at sea,” it said on Twitter. “MSF calls for people’s safety to come before politics.”
It added: “The better option would be to disembark the rescued people in the nearest port after which they can be transferred to Spain or other safe countries for further care and legal processing.”
But Italy’s new anti-establishment government, looking to put pressure on the European Union to re-write its immigration rules, showed no signs of relenting despite warnings of an approaching storm bringing waves of over 2 meters (6.5 ft).
The Italian coast guard said it had contacted nations which are responsible for the waters the Aquarius convoy will cross to be on alert if there were any possible medical emergencies amongst the migrants that needed outside intervention.
