Italy has been accused of holding 150 migrants 'hostage' on a coastguard ship 'as a way of blackmailing Europe'.

Many of those stranded aboard the vessel - the Diciotti - for a ninth day, began a hunger strike today.

Their reaction is out of frustration that Italy continues to refuse to let them disembark in Sicily unless fellow European Union nations first pledge to take them, authorities said, in the latest standoff provoked by Italy's anti-migrant interior minister.

Migrants pray aboard the Italian coastguard ship Diciotti as they enter their ninth day on board

Matteo Salvini, right, with Italian premier Giuseppe Conte. Salvini has repeatedly said the migrants should be not allowed to disembark in Italy

Interior Minister Matteo Salvini refused to bow to pressure to accept the migrants, and responded to their threatened hunger strike via Twitter that they can 'do as they believe'

Salvini also said on Twitter that his 'goal is to block boats...following the Australian model'

The Diciotti rescued the large group on August 16 while they were sailing on a foundering human trafficker's boat in the central Mediterranean. Since then, they have been docked in the port of Catania in Sicily.

An opposition lawmaker, Sen. Davide Faraone, said today that Catania port officials told him 'there's tension' on the ship and that migrants have stopped eating.

But Interior Minister Matteo Salvini refused to bow to pressure to accept the migrants, and responded to their threatened hunger strike via Twitter that they can 'do whatever they believe.

'In Italy there are 5 million people living in absolute poverty (1.2 million children) who go on hunger strike every day'.

Thirteen young children and ailing adults were evacuated from the Diciotti early in the drama.

On Wednesday, 27 minors, all teenagers, were allowed to disembark in Catania.

But Salvini has been adamant that Italy's populist government will not allow any of the 150 adults still aboard the vessel disembark unless other EU nations commit to taking in the asylum-seekers.

He has professed admiration in the past for Hungary's tough stance on migrants.

All but about 18 of those aboard are Eritrean; the others are from Somalia, Syria and Sudan.

Migrants rest while waiting to disembark from Italian coastguard ship Diciotti in the port of Catania, Sicily

The Diciotti rescued the large group on August 16 while they were sailing on a foundering human trafficker's boat in the central Mediterranean

They have told authorities they suffered months and even years of inhumane treatment in detention in Libya while waiting to leave that lawless country aboard smugglers' boats.

Another opposition lawmaker who went aboard on Thursday expressed particular concern about 11 women, some as young as 19 or 20, who are still on board.

Appealing to Salvini, Laura Boldrini said: 'As a father, they could be your daughter. At least let the young women off' the Diciotti.

Sky TG24 TV said some women aboard ate lunch on Friday but the men refused their meal.

Italy's populist government said today that it would cut funds for the European Union unless other states take in boat migrants stranded at the port, earning a rebuke from Brussels for making unacceptable 'threats'.

A meeting in Brussels of advisers from 12 countries held today, including representatives from Italy, grappled with how to share the migrant burden in general among EU members.

When it ended, Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte complained on Facebook that no progress was made.

'Yet again, we take the measure of the dysfunction, which morphs into hypocrisy, between words and deeds,' he said.

Conte said EU members at the meeting 'lost a good occasion' to make progress toward solidarity and responsibility 'even though they are constantly proclaimed as fundamental values' of the bloc.

'The worst thing is that (the migrants) are being held hostage as a way of blackmailing Europe,' said Laura Boldrini, who is a lawmaker for the left-wing Free and Equal party

The meeting's official agenda did not include the Diciotti's drama.

Salvini, who heads the anti-immigrant League party, has insisted the migrants will not be allowed ashore until other EU states agree to take them in - prompting a criminal investigation into whether the migrants are being held against their will.

'The worst thing is that (the migrants) are being held hostage as a way of blackmailing Europe,' said Laura Boldrini, who is a lawmaker for the left-wing Free and Equal party.

Water and other essential supplies are being loaded on the Diciotti, where migrants wait for permission to disembark, in the port of Catania

More than 650,000 people have reached Italian shores since 2014 and Rome has begun to take a rigidly anti-immigration line

The Italian foreign ministry said that Hungary has rebuffed Italy's request that it take some of the migrants aboard the Diciotti

More than 650,000 people have reached Italian shores since 2014 and Rome has begun to take a rigidly anti-immigration line, saying it will not let any more rescue ships dock unless other EU states agree to take the people in.

In Brussels, EU Commission spokesman Alexander Winterstein retorted that 'the European Union is a community of rules and it operates on the basis of rules, not threats.'

He urged 'all parties involved to work constructively together to find a swift solution.'

EU Parliament president Antonio Tajani told Sky TG24 that standoffs over rescued migrants would not happen any more if EU countries, especially in Eastern Europe, had favoured reform of the so-called Dublin arrangement, which requires migrants seeking EU asylum to apply for it in the country where they arrive.

Separately, the Italian foreign ministry said that on Thursday Hungary had rebuffed Italy's request that it take some of the migrants aboard the Diciotti.