The Humanitarian vessel the MV Aquarius docks at Boiler Wharf in Senglea, Malta, on Aug. 15, 2018. The Humanitarian vessel the MV Aquarius docked in Malta on Wednesday afternoon with 141 rescued migrants on board. (Xinhua/Roberto Runza)
VALLETTA, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- The Humanitarian vessel MV Aquarius entered Malta's Grand Harbour on Wednesday afternoon with 141 rescued migrants on board.
Before being granted permission to enter Malta, the ship had been stranded at sea for four days, as the Mediterranean states including Malta, Italy, Spain and Tunisia initially refused to accept the ship.
The migrants on board, including 73 children, were rescued from two separate wooden fishing vessels as they were attempting to cross the Mediterranean from Libya.
The Aquarius' passengers could be heard cheering as the vessel made its way to Boiler Wharf in Senglea to the sound of music being played by other NGO rescue vessels currently blocked in Malta's port.
In a statement published ahead of the vessel's arrivals, the Maltese government said that the AFM (Armed Forces of Malta) would be assisting with the disembarkation, while health authorities, immigration police and members of the civil protection department, the Agency for Welfare of Asylum Seekers and Transport Malta were overseeing the preparations for the rescued migrants to be brought to Malta.
"Once the immigrants are medically cleared they will be escorted to the reception centre where eventually the distribution process of immigrants amongst France, Germany, Luxembourg, Portugal and Spain will be initiated," the government said.
On Monday, the AFM rescued 114 migrants from within Malta's search and rescue region, 60 of whom will also be distributed among other member states as part of the joint EU cooperation deal.
