It's a good day for Malta and Europe, as an agreement has finally been reached on a deal which will allow 49 migrants who have been stranded at sea for weeks to disembark in Malta.

These photos by local photographer Darrin Zammit Lupi paint a poignant picture of humanity aboard the two NGO rescue ships which have housed the migrants over the festive season. Putting politics aside, 49 lives have been saved today, and we can breathe a collective sigh of relief.

After weeks of negotiations, an agreement was announced this morning that will see 220 migrants, this group included, relocated to other member states or returned to their country. It’s being reported that they’ll be shared between Germany, France, Portugal, Ireland, Romania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Italy.

Most of this group, which has been hanging in the balance since a few days before Christmas, was rescued by the MV Sea Watch, with others being picked up by the MV Sea Eye. Despite the rescues being made between Libya and Lampedusa, both Italy and Malta refused to open their harbours to the migrants, spawning a social media outcry calling for the authorities to #LetThemIn and #DontLetThemDrown.

As the Maltese government negotiated finding a country of refuge for the migrants coordinated by the European Commission, pleas from the international community continued to pour in, even including appeals from the Maltese archbishop and the Pope.

And now, with a storm on the horizon and reports that food and water on the vessels was in short supply, the news that an agreement has been reached and that the migrants are safe is very welcome indeed! As the archbishop rightly said, human life really is priceless, and as of today, 49 lives no longer hang in the balance.