A six-day stand-off over the disembarkation of migrants from a German boxship has ended in the Mediterranean.
A group of 79 mainly Bangladeshi nationals was handed over to Italian authorities at Porto Empedocle in Sicily on Saturday.
Both Italy and Malta had initially refused to take the migrants from Klingenberg Schiffahrts' 670-teu Marina (built 2003).
They had been picked up from a wooden boat on 3 May.
A knife fight broke out among the group last Wednesday and the crew was forced to lock themselves in the accommodation unit.
The shipowner's lawyer, Ann Fenech, told TradeWinds: "I can confirm that the vessel arrived in Porto Empedocle...and the disembarkation was very swift. The vessel left Porto Empedocle and made her way to Malta Freeport."
Migrants threatened to jump overboard
The managing partner at Malta's Fenech & Fenech Advocates said Saturday had begun with "a very sombre message" from the master, stating that the migrants were threatening to jump off the vessel.
"The master also stated that unless he received immediate instructions for disembarkation he was going to issue a distress signal."
But around noon the vessel received direct instructions from the Italian Maritime Rescue Co-Ordination Centre that it could proceed directly to Porto Empedocle.
"This saga has just highlighted the plight of commercial merchant shipping in such situations when they observe international law and save lives at sea," Fenech said.
She believes coverage of the situation in TradeWinds and other media was a factor in bringing the situation to a safe conclusion.
