The NGO rescue ship Sea Eye 4 arrived in Reggio Calabria on Sunday and disembarked the 144 migrants and refugees on board.
The group includes 20 unaccompanied minors, 2 newborn babies and several family groups.
They had been rescued by the German NGO off the coast of Libya in two separate operations on Thursday morning and Friday afternoon, respectively involving a group of 84 people from Gambia, Ivory Coast, Somalia, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Guinea, Mali, Senegal and Ghana and a group of 60 people from Syria, Egypt, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sudan and Burkina Faso.
For this reason, the ship could be impounded under rules for bidding multiple rescues by civilian rescue ships operating in the central Mediterranean introduced by Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi at the start of last year.
However, Prefect Clara Vaccaro, who was present at the disembarkation, said this was "not the priority right now".
"The important thing is that they have landed and that we now get them sorted," said Vaccaro.
"The rest will come in due course. Everything that needs to be done from an administrative point of view will be done," she added.
Last week another, migrant rescue ship, the Humanity 1, was placed under administrative detention for 20 days in the Calabrian port of Crotone in relation to the rescue of 77 migrants and refugees from three small boats in distress on grounds the crew allegedly failed to act under the coordination of the Libyan authorities, which Italy claims were responsible for the operation.
For its part, SOS Humanity said the rescue took place in international waters and that it had been successful despite "the violent and illegal intervention of the so-called Libyan coast guard".
"Numerous people threw themselves into the water in panic and the coast guard fired a shot into the water," said the NGO in statement.
This is the second time the Humanity 1 has been impounded in Crotone since December, when it was accused of obstructing the Libyan coast guard while rescuing 200 people.
Migrants and refugees intercepted or rescued by the Libyan coastguard and returned to Libyan shore face detention and maltreatment including torture and abuse.
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