British Prime Minister David Cameron said the causes of migration must be dealt with, not just the consequences, after the British warship HMS Bulwark launched a mission to rescue at least 500 migrants today.

British, Swedish, Spanish and Italian ships are currently en route to help about 10 migrant boats that called for assistance today, the Italian coast guard said, following the rescue of thousands of others in the Mediterranean this weekend.

"Well HMS Bulwark is in the Mediterranean because we want to save lives. Britain is a country that doesn't walk on by - we're a country with a conscience and that's right.

"But we also need to do more to stop people leaving their countries in the first place. That's what we are using our aid budget for, that's what we'll be talking about here at the G7 - how we put a Libyan government together.

"We need to deal with the causes of this migration, not simply with its consequences," Cameron said.

 

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