Mediterranean migrant deaths: where British parties stand

Ukip says rescuing migrants off Europe “may actually be making matters worse”, while the Tories want to “dissuade migrants from making these perilous and illegal journeys in the first place”.

Since Friday, 8,500 people have been rescued from the Mediterranean after trying to sail from the north African coast, according to the UN Refugee Agency.

The numbers are expected to climb rapidly, with EU border agency Frontex predicting that over 500,000 people are waiting to set sail from Libya over the summer, but migrants are likely to use other routes too.

This is the challenge facing Italy and other EU countries including the UK, which have proved prime destinations for migrants in the past – so where do the UK’s main parties stand?