Italy’s transport minister has called on the UK to take responsibility for 141 people rescued by a ship sailing under the flag of the British territory of Gibraltar.

Danilo Toninelli, the transport and infrastructure minister and a senior member of the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement (M5S), said via Twitter on Monday that the rescue was co-ordinated by the Libyan coast guard and the rescue ship was in Maltese waters, sailing under the flag of Gibraltar.

“At this point the United Kingdom assumes its responsibility for the safeguarding of the shipwrecks," he said.

A European Commission spokesperson said all diplomatic channels were being employed to find a country willing to take the migrants, who were plucked from wooden boats in two operations 25 nautical miles off the Libyan coast Friday.

French charity organisation SOS Mediterranee, which co-operates the ship with Doctors Without Borders, said on Monday they had sailed to a standby point mid-way between Malta and Italy (both countries are refusing to allow the Aquarius to dock) while awaiting Europe to assign a safe port.