VALLETTA, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- A humanitarian vessel currently believed to be carrying 141 rescued migrants has been denied entry into Italy and Malta, NGO Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said on Monday.
The NGO said that the vessel, the MV Aquarius, had rescued the migrants as they were attempting to cross the Mediterranean in two small wooden boats.
The vessel, which is jointly operated by MSF and SOS Mediterranee, is understood to have rescued the migrants on Friday.
Libyan maritime authorities, MSF said, had informed the ship's crew that it must find somewhere else to disembark the migrants. The NGO said on Monday that both Malta and Italy had denied the vessel permission to disembark its passengers.
"Aquarius has now reached a standby position exactly between Malta and Italy and is awaiting further guidance," MSF said in a tweet.
Italy's interior minister Matteo Salvini, also via Twitter, insisted the ship would not be entering Italy.
Meanwhile, Italy's Transport minister Danilo Toninelli suggested the ship make its way to Gibraltar, since it was flying the British territory's flag.
The Maltese government has not yet issued a statement regarding the situation.
In June, the vessel was at the centre of standoff between Italy and Malta and remained stranded at sea for days, with more than 600 migrants on board. Its passengers were eventually taken in by Spain.
