The humanitarian ship was on Thursday granted permission to enter a Maltese port, where procedures for identification, assessing asylum eligibility and relocation will begin immediately, Maltese prime minister Joseph Muscat told Reuters.

Luxembourg prime minister Xavier Bettel (DP) tweeted on Wednesday afternoon that the grand duchy would welcome 15 migrants “as an act of humanity & solidarity” and “in accordance with EU legislation & on the basis of EU relocation agreements.”

The Lifeline is the second charity ship that Italy refused entry to at its ports, following an announcement by interior minister Matteo Salvini that rescue vessels “cannot dictate Italy’s immigration policy”. Italy, however, was among a handful of countries which said it would collaborate to offer a European solution. The other countries were Belgium, France, the Netherlands and Portugal.