Migrant Ship Docks In Spain

A ship that belongs to Spanish NGO Proactiva Open Arms docked in the port of Barcelona Wednesday with more than 50 migrants rescued off the Libyan coast on board, after Italy refused to take them in.

After four days of crossing the Mediterranean, the over 50 migrants which comprised of 50 men, five women and five minors including three who were unaccompanied, according to the NGO  were due to be examined by Red Cross workers, after which they will be transferred to shelters.

Annabel Montes, the NGO's project manager said, “They are doing well given the circumstances, there was no serious medical emergency and they’re happy because we told them the government wanted them to come here”

The migrants' ship arrived in Spain more than two weeks after the Aquarius, a French NGO rescue vessel carrying 630 migrants, was given authorisation to dock in the eastern port of Valencia. It's refusal by Italy and Malta stirred an international outcry but Malta allowed a charity rescue boat, Lifeline, to dock with more than 200 migrants aboard.

European Union leaders accused charities of falling into the hands of people smugglers with their mission of saving migrants off the coast of Libya.

The Sea-Watch charity said Malta has blocked its reconnaissance plane “Moonbird” from taking off, after impounding its Sea-Watch 3 vessel on Monday. Sea-Watch spokesman, Ruben Neugebauer, told AFP that it was 'obviously in order to prevent rescues at sea'. 

The plane, which is operated with a Swiss pilot relief group and also supported by Germany’s Protestant churches, is used to help migrants in distress at sea.

“About 1000 would have drowned for sure, if our #Moonbird would not have found their sinking boats at the last second,” Sea-Watch said on Twitter.

Faced with growing tensions in the European Union because of that, member states struck a deal on Friday to stem the arrival of migrants.

The agreement includes the setting up of secure centres for migrants in the bloc, “disembarkation platforms” outside the bloc and sharing out refugees among member states.