British Defence Secretary Michael Fallon yesterday defended the UK’s refusal to participate in any migrant resettlement programmes, as rescuers scrambled to save some 14 crowded boats off the Libyan coast.

Speaking during a whirlwind visit to Malta, Mr Fallon said Britain opted to not take its share of migrants because it did not believe this was a “real solution”.

“We need to tackle this at the root of the problem. We need to have a more comprehensive plan to stop this flow and to stop those who are taking advantage of disenfranchised people,” he said.

His comments came amid reports that European naval ships in the Mediterranean were yesterday ordered to move towards Libya to rescue migrants at sea.

The Migrant Offshore Aid Station, (MOAS) and Médecins Sans Frontières coordinated the rescue of over 2,000 people together with Italian, Irish and German ships and the HMS Bulwark was on route to rescue migrants at the time of writing.

Migrants arrive after an AFM rescue at sea. Photo: Darrin Zammit Lupi

Speaking at the Armed Forces Air Wing where he met with Home Affairs Minister Carmelo Abela, Mr Fallon said he had just visited the HMS Bulwark which had saved some 1,800 migrants in the past few weeks.

“They are saving lives and have been some of the first responders since this situation first escalated,” he said.

We need to tackle this at the root of the problem

Dr Abela thanked Mr Fallon for the British government’s “show of solidarity” by locating naval assets where they were needed.

Asked about the EU’s plans for military action in Libya, Mr Fallon said this would not be possible without a sound legal footing. This would in turn require a UN Security Council resolution and political agreement with some form of recognised authority in Libya.

“Libya is on the brink of becoming a failed State but it is too early to contemplate military action there for the time being,” he said.

More than 1,750 migrants are believed to have drowned as they tried to cross into Europe this year.

300 migrant operations this year

Three-quarters of last year’s 1,027 Armed Forces of Malta Air Wing Operations were directly related to migration, Air Wing commanding officer Clinton O’Neil said yesterday.

He told The Sunday Times of Malta that while only 38 operations were directly related to migration, the majority of the rest had started off as basic patrols but were redirected to migrant related activities along the way.

Lt. Col. O’Neil described the migration crisis as the main burden on the AFM’s resources, as it has taken up the bulk of its time.

The lieutenant-colonel was providing a round-up of the Air Wing’s operations over the past two years in their main hangar, prior to the meeting between Dr Abela and Mr Fallon.

He said that around 300 operations had already been carried out so far this year, and one-quarter of these operations had been redirected to cover migrant related missions.

The Air Wing last year provided 36 flight hours a month to the Frontex Joint Operation Triton. Each flight undertaken lasted three to four hours and covering 600 nautical miles.