Montenegro to Host Some Migrants From Italy

The government of Montenegro has said it will receive up to five refugees and migrants who disembarked at a port in Sicily after the Italian authorities kept them on the ship for days.

"The Government, having acknowledged the principles of humanity and solidarity with people in need as a traditional value of Montenegrin society, confirmed many times in our history, decided that Montenegro should accept up to five migrants from the Diciotto," the government said on its Twitter account on Thursday evening.

Montenegro confirmed on August 30 that it had been approached by Italy and asked to take in a number of migrants and refugees, to help end a 10-day standoff with the ship docked off the Italian coast at Catania.

Podgorica said then it was still mulling whether to take the mostly African-origin migrants and refugees, but had not yet taken a stance.

"Unanimously, the Government of Montenegro confirms its commitment to the European value system and affirms human dignity," it said on Twitter on Thursday.

Vlada je, uvažavajući principe humanosti i solidarnosti sa ljudima u nevolji kao tradicionalne vrijednosti crnogorskog društva potvrđene mnogo puta u našoj istoriji, odlučila da #CrnaGora na molbu #Italija prihvati do pet migranata sa broda #Diciotto (1/2) pic.twitter.com/5qL75hUhBI

— Vlada Crne Gore (@VladaCG) September 6, 2018

The vessel arrived on August 19 with 177 migrants on board, but the Italian Interior Ministry denied them the right to disembark, calling on EU member states to help to distribute them first.

Reportedly, 27 unaccompanied minors were let off the ship on 22 August, assisted by the Red Cross, UNHCR and Save the Children.

Italy's Deputy Prime Minister,...