The United Nations refugee agency is warning against a repeat of the standoff that left a private rescue ship carrying 629 migrants at sea for a week.

A convoy consisting of the aid ship Aquarius and two Italian military ships disembarked the passengers in Valencia, Spain on Sunday, a week after Italy and Malta had refused to give the Aquarius permission to dock.

The U.N. high commissioner for refugees, Filippo Grandi, said in a statement from Geneva: "We're grateful this ordeal is over for all involved, but this incident is something that should never have happened in the first place."

Grandi added that "rescue at sea is too important a principle to jeopardize, and any wavering about disembarkation presents grave peril not just to refugees and migrants, but to anyone in difficulty at sea."

His office said it has offered to help Spanish authorities as they work assess the new arrivals' needs.

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The crew of a U.S. Navy vessel has transferred the 41 migrants they rescued over to Italian coast guard ships off Sicily.

The U.S. 6th Fleet said the migrants rescued by its fast transport ship on June 12 were moved to the Italian ships on Sunday near tiny Lampedusa. Ship master Susan Orsini said they were transferred "in good spirits and good health."

During the rescue in the Mediterranean Sea, the crew of the Trenton spotted 12 bodies in the water. The 6th Fleet said crew members couldn't locate the bodies or other survivors after the first 41 people.

Orsini, said: "Although it is seldom that we run into people in distress at sea, it is something we plan, practice and prepare for routinely."

The Trenton originally asked a private aid group to take on its unexpected passengers. The aid group said it declined because Italy would not assure it of a place to dock.

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Italy's right-wing interior minister says he hopes Spain accepts "66,629" more migrants.

Speaking at a political rally, Matteo Salvini thanked Spain on Sunday for welcoming 629 migrants who were rescued in the Mediterranean Sea on June 9, adding he wishes the country would take in "66,629 more."

Spain offered safe harbor last week to a private aid ship that was carrying the rescued passengers after both Malta and Italy refused the Aquarius permission to dock.

Salvini, who heads the right-wing League party in Italy's new populist government, says that if France, Malta, Portugal and other European countries also receive migrants rescued from smugglers' boats, "we'll be happier."

Some 600,000 rescued migrants have arrived in Italy in recent years.

Referring to the costs, Salvini added: "Seeing that we pay, we'll take in who deserves to be taken in."