Written question asked by Dan Carden (Labour) on Monday, 29 April 2019, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 1 May 2019. It was answered by Alan Duncan (Conservative) on Wednesday, 8 May 2019 on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Libya: Undocumented Migrants

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if his Department will support search and rescue operations in the Mediterranean for people trying to flee Libya.

Answer: The UK Government currently supports the EU's Operation Sophia through the provision of staff to its Operational Headquarters, although Operation Sophia's naval operations are currently suspended. There is no evidence of an increase in the volumes of migrants seeking to cross the central Mediterranean from Libya to Europe. However, we are monitoring this situation closely. The UK Government continues to call on all parties to the conflict in Libya to commit to a ceasefire, ensure humanitarian access to aid the voluntary evacuation of civilians, and a return to the political process.

Secondary information