Europe’s anti-smuggling naval mission in the Mediterranean has been a “failure” that has not decreased deaths among desperate migrants seeking a better life in Europe, a House of Lords committee has ruled.

In a damning report into the pan-EU Operation Sophia, the Lord’s European Union Committee found that the naval mission had failed to disrupt the business model of the people smuggling industry operating in Libya.

Baroness Verma, chair of the EU External Affairs Sub-Committee, said Brussels should now not extend the mandate for Op Sophia when it comes up for renewal later this month, even though humanitarian search and rescue operations should continue.

“People smuggling begins onshore, so a naval mission is the wrong tool for tackling this dangerous, inhumane and unscrupulous business. Once the boats have set sail, it is too late.