Italy has agreed to take in over 500 migrants from two rescue ships at sea off its coast after another vessel carrying 33 migrants had docked on the southern Italian island of Lampedusa, ARAB NEWS reported.

The Geo Barents ship, which is operated by the Doctors without Borders charity and had 248 migrants aboard, has been told to head for the Port of Salerno on the southern Italian mainland, MSF said.

MSF said it would take more than 24 hours to get there from its current location off the eastern coast of Sicily but welcomed the decision.