The captain of a migrant rescue ship who has been held in Malta and charged with ship registration irregularities has been allowed by Magistrate Joe Mifsud to visit his elderly mother in Germany.

Claus Peter Reisch, 57, (picture centre) the master of the Lifeline, was arraigned days after the ship was allowed into Malta to disembark 233 migrants.

The ship was allowed in after a five-day stand-off during which both Malta and Italy had refused it entry. Malta relented after eight EU member states as well as Norway agreed to an ad hoc plan to share the migrants among themselves.

The court had initially granted bail but told the captain to stay in Malta pending further court hearings later this month.

The decision to allow him to go to Germany was taken after Magistrate Joe Mifsud visited the ship as part of his on-site inquiry on Tuesday.

Mr Reisch had said he needed to go home to visit his mother, who is 93.  

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