Stranded Mediterranean migrant rescue boat to dock in Malta

A rescue boat carrying over 200 migrants, which has been stranded in the Mediterranean Sea for nearly a week, will be allowed to dock in Malta Wednesday evening, the country's prime minister has announced.

The Lifeline - run by German charity Mission Lifeline - was stuck at sea for six days waiting for permission to dock in a port after European countries voiced opposition to taking in the 234 migrants onboard the vessel.

A deal was reached on Wednesday after six EU countries - including Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Ireland, Belgium and France - offered refuge to the migrants.

"I believe the vessel will reach our shores this evening," Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said.

He warned that the situation was "unique" and cannot become allowed to occur again and ordered the rescue ship to be impounded once it reaches Malta's shores, "pending an investigation".

Belgian Asylum and Migration Minister Theo Francken also tweeted that the situation should be a "one off" and urged "legal proceedings" against Mission Lifeline.

The German charity's rescue mission has been condemned by many European politicians. EU governments have become more averse to allowing in more refugees following rising anti-migrant sentiments and a more empowered far-right.

The mission saw a heated stand-off between France, Italy, Malta and others, who were all reluctant to allow the ship to dock until a deal was reached.

Germany had not agreed to participate in the deal, a stance which the Mission Lifeline's co-founder Axel Steier blamed on the country's hardline Interior Minister Horst Seehofer.

Earlier this month, Italy rejected the Aquarius rescue ship, carrying 630 migrants, forcing it to eventually dock in Spain.