Around 500,000 refugees wait to take treacherous journey

UP to half a million refugees are massing in Libya to try and flee to Europe on the death boats that have killed thousands already.

The shocking toll of misery was revealed by senior Royal Navy officers leading Britain’s Mediterranean rescue mission off the Libyan coast.

Britain’s amphibious assault ship HMS Bulwark has helped find around 4,000 refugees before they drowned in hopelessly unseaworthy boats.

The ship’s 350-strong company of sailors and Royal Marines is bracing itself to steam to the rescue of a further 3,000 risking death to flee war torn countries and poverty in Africa to attempt the perilous crossing.

Bulwark’s Captain Nick Cooke-priest said: “Indications are that there are from 450,000 to 500,000 migrants in Libya who are waiting at the border.”

Intelligence reports were warning Bulwark’s crew – which is among around 11 rescue vessels in the central Mediterranean – of another 3,000 migrants in the water.

Britain is working with the Italian navy on Operation Weald to rescue migrants who have fallen prey to smuggling gangs in Libya.

Chillingly the occupants of some of the overcrowded boats are thought to have been told to scupper them as soon as they see a rescue ship – to ensure they will be rescued, even though many of them cannot swim.

Commodore Martin Connell, the Royal Navy’s senior officer commanding Operation Weald, said: “This is just the most grim situation you could possibly find,” he said. “It is a grim business this ... most of these boats won’t make it.

“If I could get my hands on some of these smuggling gangs. They have no regard for human life.”

Defence Secretary Michael Fallon visited Bulwark, flown in on board one of the ship’s two Mark II Merlin helicopters, which are used to scour the seas for stranded boats.

He urged the rest of Europe offer more help as Italy and Britain are taking on the brunt of the rescue workload.

Asked about the half a million already preparing to make the hazardous journey by boat from Libya said: “Well you have seen today 3,000 people trying to cross in a single day, we could see hundreds of thousands trying to cross this summer.” CHRIS HUGHES