Muqadishu-KNN-Italy’s Interior Minister Matteo Salvini has agreed to let 27 unaccompanied teenagers leave a migrant rescue ship amid a row between the far-right leader and his fellow ministers.
The minors were allowed to disembark on the Italian island of Lampedusa after more than sixteen days at sea.
More than 100 migrants remain on board the Spanish rescue ship Open Arms.
Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte had called Mr Salvini “obsessed” with keeping migrants out of Italian ports.
Two ministers on Friday also refused to sign off Mr Salvini’s orders banning the Open Arms ship from docking in Lampedusa.
In a letter on Saturday, Mr Salvini reluctantly told the prime minister he could allow the “alleged” minors off the vessel, before pointing out it was “contrary to my policy”.
“Evacuation of unaccompanied minors completed,” Open Arms tweeted. “Many tears. They’ve left friends and travel companions,” it added.
The charity said the remaining adults and two accompanied children on the boat were living in “untenable” conditions.
