Britain’s conservative government will not support search-and-rescue efforts to help immigrants from northern Africa and the Middle East whose rickety boats often get into trouble in the Mediterranean Sea.  This is because – and I’m not making this up – rescuing immigrants from certain death would only encourage them.

Foreign Office minister Baroness Joyce Anelay spelled out the government’s policy that rescues create an unintended “pull factor” that encourages “more migrants to attempt the dangerous sea crossing and thereby leading to more tragic and unnecessary deaths.”

Of course, the entire reason for the rescue missions is that immigrant boats were already making the dangerous crossing from northern Africa, especially from Libya.  Collapsed governments of the “Arab Spring” created a vacuum of unpatrolled coastline – perfect for human traffickers to pack impoverished immigrants onto crap boats and send them north. Italian ships have rescued about 150,000 migrants over the past 12 months, about 400 people per day.  This year alone, some 3,000 migrants have drowned.

“The British government seems oblivious to the fact that the world is in the grip of the greatest refugee crisis since the Second World War,” said Maurice Wren of the British Refugee Council in a statement.  “People fleeing atrocities will not stop coming if we stop throwing them life rings; boarding a rickety boat in Libya will remain a seemingly rational decision if you’re running for your life and your country is in flames.”

“The answer isn't to build the walls of fortress Europe higher,” Wren continued, “It’s to provide more safe and legal channels for people to access protection.”

Italy’s rescue mission “Mare Nostrum” is being wound down, not the least reason being the immense cost to one of Europe’s less-than-vibrant economies.  Rome has implored Europe to help out, and the European border agency Frontex will launch “Operation Triton” at week’s end – with a smaller budget and fewer ships than the Italians.

Six ships, two planes, and a helicopter to cover the Mediterranean Sea.  Does that seem encouraging?