A non-governmental organization said on Saturday that it had rescued 59 migrants in the Mediterranean off Libya and that its ship was headed for Barcelona, after Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini said there was no way the boat could dock in an Italian port.
The Spanish NGO ProActiva Open Arms reported via Twitter that its boat, with 59 rescued, was heading to a "safe harbor". She later announced that she had received permission for her ship to dock in Barcelona, adding that she expects the boat to arrive in the city on Wednesday.
Among the people rescued from the ship are Palestinians and Syrians.
It is noted that Salvini wrote on Facebook,
"The nearest port is Malta, the organization and flag (of its ship) are Spanish: they can forget the idea of arriving in an Italian port."
Malta's Interior Minister Michael Farouja has challenged Salvini's version of events, saying the migrants were rescued in an area between Libya and the Italian port of Lampedusa.
He even demanded via twitter,
"Stop spreading inaccurate information and confuse Malta for no reason."
It is recalled that on Friday, three babies lost their lives and another 100 people are missing in the Mediterranean after the sinking of a boat with refugees off the Libyan coast.