Diamond to tackle people smugglers

A Portsmouth-based navy ship will target people smugglers off the coast of Libya.

By The Newsroom

Published 4th Sep 2016, 19:52 BST

Updated 4th Sep 2016, 20:56 BST

HMS Diamond leaving Portsmouth last week

HMS Diamond will arrive off the Libyan coast in the next couple of days to help tackle migrants who are being trafficked into Italy.

Following Greece’s decision to close its borders to refugees last spring, Libya has become the primary route for migrants, with more than 13,000 people being picked up by the Italian coastguard charity and rescue boats last week.

HMS Diamond, a Type-45 destroyer, was given authorisation to join the mission named Operation Sophia, in June.

Crispin Blunt, head of the Foreign Affairs Committee, disagrees with HMS  Diamond being deployed and instead believes establishing a proper  parliamentary system in Libya should be the priority.