'Many tears' as Italy lets stranded minors disembark rescue ship

Far-right minister buckles to pressure and allows 27 unaccompanied children to leave refugee rescue vessel.

Italy's far right interior minister has let dozens of unaccompanied minors leave a refugee rescue carrying more than a hundred migrants after the boat spent more than two weeks waiting for a port to disembark in.

The 27 children could leave the Open Arms ship despite it being "contrary to my policy", Matteo Salvini said in a statement on Saturday. But the remaining 105 adults and two accompanied children must stay on the ship operated by the Spanish aid group, he said.

"Evacuation of unaccompanied minors completed," Open Arms tweeted after the Italian coastguard collected the children and took them to Lampedusa port.

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