The Latest: Italy official: migrants kept on ship unjustly

ROME – The Latest on Europe’s migrant crisis (all times local):

7:00 p.m.

A delegation from Italy’s guarantor of personal rights has visited 150 migrants held on an Italian coast guard vessel for days, concluding they are being unjustly prevented from disembarking at a Sicilian port.

Delegation chief Daniela de Robert told Sky TG24 TV after three hours aboard the Diciotti that the migrants come from countries that should make them “easily” eligible to request refugee status. She said nearly 90 per cent are from Eritrea, while the others are from Syria, Sudan and Somalia.

The Italian news agency ANSA quoted her as saying that “we found what we thought we’d find — persons deprived of freedom without a measure from judicial authorities.” She called that a rights violation.

Anti-migrant Interior Minister Matteo Salvini has vowed not to let the migrants disembark.