Rome (AFP)

Italy's interior minister, far-right leader Matteo Salvini, has cleared Saturday the landing of 27 unaccompanied migrant minors picked up on board the rescue ship of the Spanish NGO Proactiva Open Arms, anchored in off the island of Lampedusa.

"They will be evacuated by the Coast Guard of Lampedusa", a small Italian island located between Sicily and North Africa, the NGO announced on Twitter.

The Interior Minister had earlier written a letter to the head of the Italian government Giuseppe Conte in which he said he could allow the "suspected" minors to leave the Open Arms, although this is in contradiction with (his ) opinion ".

"The green light at the landing of these people is the exclusive responsibility of the Prime Minister," wrote Salvini, who has the last word on border issues.

On Friday, Marc Reig, the ship's commander, described an "explosive" situation on board, pointing out that some migrants could "jump into the water" to reach the mainland "by swimming".

"Everyone is psychologically broken, this situation has become unsustainable," he told Spanish television TVE. In a tweet, the NGO mentioned threats of suicide and demanded a general landing for "humanitarian emergency".

- 105 adults and 2 minors -

Matteo Salvini, however, continues to refuse that the 105 adults and two minors still accompanied aboard may land, although several European countries have agreed to accommodate them.

"The Commission has had intensive contacts over the past week and we are very grateful for the cooperation of France, Germany, Luxembourg, Portugal, Romania and Spain", commented on Friday. Commission word, Vanessa Rock.

But "no European country has made formal steps to accommodate migrants on board," say sources at the Italian Interior Ministry, who demand concrete commitments.

Proactiva Open Arms has announced that it will need time to tell the migrants that most of them should remain on board, while some have been rescued for more than two weeks, and the boat has dropped anchor at off Lampedusa since Thursday.

On Saturday, a Sicilian prosecutor conducted a search at the headquarters of the Italian Coast Guard in Rome, in the context of an investigation against X for kidnapping of persons and abuse of power, on the decision to prevent the Open Arms of moor.

Police seized communications records between the Ministry of the Interior and the rescue services, the left-leaning daily La Repubblica reported.

- Political crisis -

This umpteenth confrontation between a relief ship and the Italian Minister of the Interior took place this time in the context of the political crisis that is shaking Rome.

On August 8 Salvini shattered the government coalition formed by his political party, the League (far right), with the Five-Star Movement (M5S, antisystem). He called for the speedy organization of elections, while he is credited with 36 to 38 percent of voting intentions in the polls.

But a political front seems to be forming against him, unexpectedly through an alliance between his ex-M5S partner and the Democratic Party (center left).

Migration policy has taken center stage in this crisis, pending a possible vote of no confidence against the government in the Senate on Tuesday.

At the same time, the Ocean Viking, SOS Méditerranée boat and Doctors Without Borders (MSF), still has no solution to land the 356 migrants he rescued at sea.

It is now idling halfway between Malta and Lampedusa, while the decree prohibiting Italian territorial waters is still in force and the Maltese authorities remain deaf to his requests.

© 2019 AFP