Malta allows migrant ship to dock after EU deal




A charity ship that has been stranded for five days with 230 migrants on board has been given permission to dock in the Mediterranean island of Malta.

Malta's PM said the Lifeline would arrive on Wednesday, after his country and seven other EU states agreed to take a share of those on board.

Joseph Muscat added that genuine asylum seekers would be allowed to stay.

Italy's new government has closed its ports to rescue ships operated by charities in the Mediterranean.

The dispute over the Lifeline echoes that which surrounded the Aquarius, whose 630 migrants were finally taken to the Spanish port of Valencia last week, after being blocked by Italy and Malta.

Mr Muscat said on Wednesday: "I believe the vessel will reach our shores this evening."

Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal and Ireland, Belgium and France had also agreed to receive some of the migrants, he added.

The ship is currently off Malta's east coast. On Tuesday night, the NGO Mission Lifeline said it had not been given permission to enter Malta's territory.

Early on Wednesday, it tweeted that it had entered Maltese waters with permission, to shelter from bad weather.