"Ocean Viking has just received instructions from the Rome Sea Rescue Coordination Center to continue to Lampedusa," the organization tweeted.
French Interior Minister Christophe Castaner writes on Twitter that Italy, France, Portugal, Germany and Luxembourg have agreed to divide the migrants.
The decision to add the ship marks a change of course for Italy. The country's new government, which was installed on Tuesday, has announced that it wants to pursue a softer migration policy than was previously the case.
The country's former interior minister, Legal Secretary Matteo Salvini, during his 14 months on the post, ran a hard line against immigration across the Mediterranean, and had the habit of closing Italian ports for rescue vessels.