MADRID, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- The Spanish government has agreed to accept 60 of the 141 migrants who are currently on the rescue ship "Aquarius" after being picked up in the Mediterranean Sea, government sources confirmed on Tuesday.
Portugal has also agreed to take in 30 of the immigrants as part of a deal with another four European Union (EU) countries.
The decision comes a day after the Spanish government, which accepted over 600 migrants rescued by the Aquarius in June, had refused the boat permission to dock a second time, saying, "Spain is not the safest port, because it is not the closest according to what is set out under international law."
The Aquarius is currently located 30 nautical miles off the coasts of Italy and Malta, both of which have refused it permission to make landfall.
The 141 people rescued by the Aquarius were traveling from Libya to Italy in two wooden boats which overturned and 67 of them are reported to be unaccompanied minors with around two thirds coming from Eritrea and Somalia.
Spain was criticized in June by the Italian government for encouraging "out of control immigration," although the government of Pedro Sanchez insisted it was only attempting to send a message to European governments for the need for joint action to help resolve the immigration crisis.
The Spanish media reported that Tuesday's agreement was reached after a series of high-level discussions, just two days after Sanchez and German Chancellor Angela Merkel had met in southern Spain with the immigration problem high on their agenda.
