Italy, Malta clash as 450 remain stranded at sea

Another 450 migrants on board two Frontex vessels were stranded at sea yesterday as Italy and Malta locked horns over whose responsibility it was to offer them safe harbour.

The migrants had initially set sail from Libya in a single wooden vessel which was identified early Friday while passing through waters under Malta's jurisdiction.

But Italy's far-right Interior Minister Matteo Salvini, who has authority over the country's ports, on Friday refused to let them dock in his latest show of intransigence over migrants stranded at sea.

And yesterday, as those on board were transferred to two vessels belonging to the EU border agency Frontex, he insisted they be instructed to "head south, to Libya or Malta".

But Malta said the ship was much closer to the Italian island of Lampedusa, and on Saturday, insisted it had respected "all of its obligations under international conventions" concerning those rescued at sea.