The Greek and Tunisian coast guards have also reported successful rescue missions. Nonetheless, dozens of people have died in shipwrecks in the Mediterranean over the past several days.

The inquiry established that Rackete had "acted in compliance with the duty to rescue". In June 2019 Rackete decided to enter Italian territorial waters with migrants aboard the ship without prior authorisation.

At least four migrants have died after their boat hit an islet in the Aegean Sea in the second deadly incident involving migrants in southern Greek waters in the past two days.

The German foreign minister said more needs to be done to help Afghanistan in the wake of the Taliban takeover. Some 15,000 people which Germany vowed to take in are still stranded there.