Yvette Cooper, Labour’s Shadow Home Secretary, responding to the EU ten point plan on deaths in the Mediterranean, said:

“It is right that governments across Europe are coming together to try to stop more tragic deaths in the Mediterranean, but this plan doesn’t go nearly far enough.

“We have a humanitarian crisis on Europe’s southern shores and the terrible sight of children’s bodies being carried out of the waves should shame governments into realising that this response is still painfully weak. A bit of additional funding for Operation Triton is no replacement for a properly funded EU search and rescue operation. That is what is needed and what we will continue to push for ahead of the emergency summit on Thursday.

"We need a comprehensive European-wide plan of action to tackle the toxic mix of Libya’s instability and the smugglers and traffickers profiting from death. That means more action to stop the criminal gangs packing desperate people into decrepit and overcrowded boats, including work by Europol, and a clear strategy to try to stabilise countries being used by traffickers, exploiting fear and misery for profit.

"We also need a much more effective long-term strategy for managing EU external borders - to ease the burden on countries managing the seas and the land borders to the east.

"But the priority must be to get search and rescue operations back up and running and Labour will continue to press for this in advance of the summit on Thursday. Reports that the UK Government played a leading role in ending search and rescue last year are deeply troubling. David Cameron and Theresa May need to now show their commitment to restarting the rescue as the top priority for the emergency summit.”

ENDS