The migrant vessel in distress with around 400 migrants that was first spotted on Sunday, is set to reach its final destination at Vibo Valentia Marina in Italy on Wednesday afternoon, Gazzetta del Sud reported.

The boat is being escorted by the Italian Coastguard by the Diciotti ship after it was rescued in a complex operation conducted in the Ionian Sea after it was intercepted on Tuesday over a hundred miles southeast of Sicily.

Rescue hotline NGO Alarm Phone said it received a call from a migrant boat on Easter Sunday which departed from Tobruk, Libya.

Rescue NGO Sea-Watch accused Malta of ordering two merchant vessels to not rescue the migrant boat, but only to supply it with water and fuel.

The Armed Force of Malta replied by telling The Malta Independent that “no rescue was requested by the people on board.” In reaction, rescues hotline NGO Alarm Phone condemned the AFM for “lying and denying responsibility” as Alarm Phone said that it sent 21 emails to Malta requesting a rescue operation.

Sea-Watch, in comments following the AFM's answers, said: “While everyone can clearly see on pictures that this boat clearly matches the criteria of a distress case, Malta denied sending its own assets, waiting for Italy to possibly intervene - while at the same time ordering the captain of the merchant vessel to not engage and await further instructions while being on stand-by. That’s nothing but Malta shying away from the legal responsibility for its search and rescue zone, risking the lives of the people in distress.”