Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

Her Majesty's Government what is the closest distance to the Libyan coast that EU migrant search and rescue missions operate; whether migrants picked up at a certain distance are returned to Libya and not brought to the EU; and if so, what is that distance.

Vessels engaged in Operation Sophia, the EU Naval Force Mediterranean, and Operation Triton, the EU's border control and surveillance mission, are not currently authorised to operate in Libyan territorial waters, which, though disputed, are considered, for the purposes of EU operations, to extend 12 nautical miles from the coastline. No-one rescued by these vessels is taken to Libya.