27 minors disembarked from the Diciotti rescue ship at the port of Catania on Wednesday. The remaining 148 migrants remain aboard the ship as they have not received an official authorisation to come ashore.
Last Wednesday, some 190 migrants were rescued after being picked up from an overcrowded boat off the Lampedusa’s coast. 13 of them were evacuated to Italy to receive medical treatment.
Italy insisted that Malta should take the rest, arguing that the boat first passed through its search-and-rescue area. However, Malta refused, saying that the migrants declined their assistance as they preferred to reach Italy. Following the standoff with Malta, Salvini has threatened to send the migrants to Libya if other EU countries fail to take them in.