Italy is expected to be allowed to disembark children and sick or vulnerable people from a German-flagged rescue ship on Saturday, but other migrants on board may be sent back to international waters despite worsening weather conditions.

Humanity 1, run by German charity SOS Humanity and carrying 179 migrants, has been ordered by Italian authorities to call at the port of Catania, its spokesman told AFP.

Humanity 1 is one of four humanitarian ships off Sicily that have requested permission to take those rescued to safety in Italy as conditions at sea worsen with bad weather.

So far it is the only one that has been ordered to enter port.

But the charity said it hasn’t been officially assigned a port, an omission leading it to believe not everyone will be allowed out.

Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi said Friday that vulnerable people would be released from the Humanity 1, after which the ship would have to “remove” the remaining migrants from Italian waters.

“We fear that the authorities will simply let (us) emergencies and children, perhaps minors, off board,” the ship’s spokeswoman Petra Krischok said in a statement.

“We fear for the protective rights of people who have been rescued from distress at sea and everyone needs protection,” she said.

Italy’s new far-right government, which was sworn in last month, has vowed to crack down on boat migrants entering Europe from North Africa.

On Saturday, Piantedosi said the government will not “back down” its humanitarian obligations, but those who do not qualify “must leave our territorial waters and be taken care of by the flag state” – a reference to the national flags under which the ships sail.

Two of the charity boats – Mission Lifeline’s Humanity 1 and Rise Above – fly the German flag.

The other two – SOS Mediterranee’s Ocean Viking and Doctors Without Borders’ Geo Barents – are registered in Norway.

The four ships are transporting over 1,000 people rescued in the Mediterranean.

Norway’s foreign ministry said Thursday it had “no responsibility” for those rescued by private Norwegian-flagged vessels in the Mediterranean.

Mirka Schafer, SOS Humanity’s advocacy officer, said the Italian government’s decision to only take in some people was “undoubtedly illegal”.

“The survivors have fled Libya, where they have been subjected to human rights abuses such as torture. As refugees, they are clearly in a vulnerable state, some of them visibly traumatized.

“The rescued must be allowed to go ashore immediately, where their medical and psychological care is guaranteed and they can exercise their right to international protection,” she added.

There are “many babies” on board the Rise Above who need to be provided with a safe haven immediately, Mission Lifeline’s Hermine Poschmann told AFP.

The youngest of the 42 children carrying it are just seven and ten months old.

The ship was off Catania after seeking shelter from bad weather. The 25 meter long ship “is a small, fast responder, not made for long downtimes,” said Poschmann.

The ship usually transfers the rescued to the larger charity ships, but they have no room for them.

A photographer on the Ocean Viking, operated by SOS Mediterranee, told AFP “sea conditions are deteriorating and we are expecting more rain”.

“Those on board are not healthy because they are seasick, including children,” he said, adding that among the 234 migrants, 57 were minors.

The Geo Barrents, operated by Médecins Sans Frontières and currently carrying 572 rescued people, said on Saturday they also entered Italian waters to seek shelter “after requesting and receiving permission from the authorities”.

“We have been waiting for a safe landing site for more than ten days,” said Mission Director Juan Matias Gil.