The Italian authorities have given permission to 176 migrants aboard a rescue ship to disembark at the Port of Taranto in southeastern Italy, the NGO SOS Mediterranee said on Monday.

"We are relieved that the 176 survivors can disembark in a safe place without unnecessary waiting," the organization said in a tweet. 

The rescue ship, Ocean Viking, operated by the NGOs SOS Mediterranee and Doctors Without Borders, picked up the migrants from inflatable boats in two operations off the coast of Libya. They include four pregnant women and at least nine people aged under 16.

The announcement came after the rescue ship had asked EU member countries to assign it a port where the migrants could disembark. No site in Libya can be considered safe for migrants, SOS Mediterranee had said in a statement.

The Ocean Viking's appeal for help comes as European leaders struggle to agree on how to jointly handle thousands of people trying to reach the continent from Africa.

SOS Mediterranee said it was the fourth time it had asked for access to an EU port since August, shortly after relaunching rescue operations following a seven-month hiatus it blamed on obstruction by European nations.

Last month, Italy, France, Germany and Malta proposed a system for automatically distributing asylum seekers across the EU. Such a deal would put an end to case-by-case negotiations over who will take those saved during the perilous crossing from North Africa, which have left vulnerable asylum seekers trapped in limbo at sea for lengthy periods. However, so far only a handful of nations have backed the plan.

"Ad hoc accords cannot be the solution. We are calling on governments to put an end to an unacceptable situation," said Fabienne Lassalle, a deputy director at SOS Mediterranee France.

(With input from AFP)