Eighty-three migrants who had been stranded on Open Arms rescue ship off the coast of Lampedusa disembarked on the Italian island on Tuesday night, ending a prolonged stand-off between the Spanish charity-owned boat and the government in Rome.

There were initially 147 mainly African migrants on the ship but as the days passed, some were evacuated for medical care and all minors were allowed to disembark.

Sicilian prosecutor Luigi Patronaggio ordered the seizure of the ship off Italy's southernmost island of Lampedusa and the immediate evacuation of its passengers after he boarded the vessel and met with port authorities as part of an investigation into possible kidnapping charges resulting from the refusal of Minister Matteo Salvini to allow the migrants to get off the Spanish humanitarian ship named Open Arms, the news agency ANSA reported.

Open Arms ship, run by a Spanish charity of the same name, had rescued the migrants heading for Europe off the Libyan coast. But after Italy refused to let it dock the ship had been stranded at sea for nearly three weeks, with the charity saying that the migrants were distressed and urgently needed to find shelter.

Earlier Tuesday, Spain's caretaker Socialist government sent a navy ship to escort Open Arms back to a Spanish port after more than a dozen of the migrants jumped into the sea within view of Lampedusa, desperate to flee overcrowded and deteriorating conditions on the vessel. Those who jumped overboard were quickly picked up by Italian ships.

But the Spanish navy is only due to reach Lampedusa in three days and the captain of Open Arms repeatedly said the crew of 17 were no longer able to maintain control, and the situation on board was desperate and some migrants were suicidal. According to Reuters, the passengers were sleeping jammed together on deck and sharing two toilets.

Italy has taken a tough line on migrant entry, with Salvini keeping his refusal of the dock even when six European Union countries, including France, Germany, Romania, Portugal, Spain and Luxembourg, have offered to take them all in.

"Being firm is the only way to stop Italy from becoming Europe's refugee camp again," Salvini tweeted.

Italy's standoff over Open Arms comes as Salvini is trying to force Italy into snap elections, and has further raised tensions in the country’s failing ruling coalition. Italy's Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte announced his resignation on Tuesday, accusing Salvini of sinking the ruling coalition for personal and political gain.

(With input from agencies)

Read more:

Italy suggests to take all the migrants to a Spanish port