Republic of Ireland to relocate rescue ship migrants

The Ocean Viking rescued 356 people, the youngest being just a year old

The Republic of Ireland is among six countries that have agreed to relocate migrants stranded on board a rescue ship in the Mediterranean.

Maltese navy boats will transfer the migrants on the Ocean Viking to land and they will then be relocated to other member states.

The ship is anchored in international waters between Malta and the southern Italian island of Linosa.

The agreement was announced by the Maltese government on Friday.

Malta had denied the ship entry and Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said none of the migrants will remain in the country after the transfer operation.

The ship is anchored in international waters between Malta and the southern Italian island of Linosa

France has said it will take 150 people, with Germany, Luxembourg, Portugal and Romania also agreeing to relocate them.

Ireland will accept the relocation of up to 100 asylum seekers from this summer until the end of 2019.

The Ocean Viking carried out its first rescue on 9 August and over the following four days 356 people were brought on board, with the youngest being just a year old.