New Italian government closes ports to NGO ships

People rescued by the Geo Barents rescue ship are packed on the deck (Candida Lobes/AP)

Italy’s new far-right led government adopted a measure on Friday formalising the closure of its ports to rescue ships run by humanitarian groups, as four vessels with more than 1,000 migrants continued to press for a safe port.

Interior minister Matteo Piantedosi told reporters Italy would allow a German migrant rescue ship to arrive in Sicily to land minors and those with medical emergencies, but he said the ship must then return to international waters with the rest of the migrants.