Photo: Sara Alonso Esparza

A ship with 629 migrants on board remains stranded between Malta and Sicily as the crew called off a planned trip to Spain after deeming the journey too risky.

The fate of the migrants aboard the Aquarius ship has been the centre of a diplomatic spat between Malta and Italy, with both countries insisting each other should take them in. Crisis appeared to have been averted this afternoon after Spain’s new president Pedro Sanches offered to take the ship to Valencia, citing his country’s humanitarian obligations.

However, journalists aboard the Aquarius are now reporting that the organisers of the rescue mission, from the NGOs SOS Méditerranée and Medecins Sans Frontieres, have decided travelling to Valencia would be too risky.

“It is absolutely unviable for the Aquarius to travel to Spain in these circumstances,” Radio Nacional de España journalist Sara Alonso Esparza tweeted. “The ship is crowded and such a long trip will not be safe for the migrants, the crew or the ship. Moreover, the weather conditions are adverse.”

Meanwhile, Euronews’ correspondent Anelise Borges reported that the situation aboard the Aquarius has deteriorated, with supplies such as blankets and clean clothes starting to run out and fights breaking out amongst the migrants.

There are an estimated 629 migrants on boat the Aquarius, including 123 unaccompanied minors and seven pregnant women. The migrants, who were picked up from different boats in Libyan waters, hail from several African countries – including Nigeria, Morocco, Sierra Leone, Algeria and Sudan.

Should Malta take in these migrants?

READ NEXT: WATCH: On Board The Aquarius: Supplies Running Out But Migrants In Upbeat Mood As Malta And Italy Deny It Passage

Tim Diacono

Tim is interested in the rapid evolution of human society and is passionate about justice, human rights and cutting-edge political debates. You can follow him on Instagram or Twitter/X at @timdiacono or reach out to him at [email protected]