Charity ship carrying 141 migrants finally docks in Malta

The Mediterranean rescue ship Aquarius arrived at Valletta harbour in Malta on Wednesday to disembark 141 migrants. This ends a five-day tug-of-war between European Union countries which had banned the vessel from docking in several ports.

The ship, run by the Franco-German charity SOS Mediterranee and Doctors without Borders (MSF), was allowed in after France, Germany, Luxembourg, Portugal and Spain agreed on Tuesday to take in the migrants, who were rescued off the coast of Libya.

The EU countries will also take some of a group of 114 migrants rescued by the Maltese armed forces and brought to Malta on Monday.

The row was the latest tussle highlighting how politically fraught the issue of coping with seaborne migrants remains despite a migration deal agreed on by EU leaders at a summit in June.

Reuters