A charity ship carrying 47 rescued migrants has docked in the Sicilian port of Catania as the crew feared legal action from Italian authorities.
The Dutch-flagged Sea Watch 3, which had been waiting off the coast of Sicily with people it rescued in the Mediterranean on 19 January, was finally given permission to anchor in Catania after six other countries agreed to take them in.
France, Germany, Malta, Portugal, Romania and Luxembourg said they would share care of the mainly Sub-Saharan group.
It was not clear whether Italy would also host some of them.
The ship had been sheltering from a storm off the coastal town of Syracusa, which had been ready to welcome those saved.
The crew of the vessel said they feared legal action as Italy's far-right interior minister tries to stop new arrivals.
"We have to go to Catania now. That means, we are moving away from a port of safety, towards a port where there is a prosecutor, known for his agenda regarding sea rescue NGOs," the German charity Sea Watch tweeted late Wednesday.
"If this is not a political move, we don't know what is. We hope for the best and expect the worst," it said.
Salvini has warned he is considering legal action against Sea Watch's crew, accusing them of sailing straight for Italy rather than taking the migrants to closer ports in Libya or Tunisia.
The NGO says it tried but failed to get a response from Tripoli or Tunis.
