
A demonstration in Parliament Square that was given special permission by Labour London Mayor Sadiq Khan has provoked anger today.

Around 2,500 lifejackets have been laid out across the site usually reserved for military memorials in an all-day protest - despite a three-hour limit on such events imposed by the Mayor's office.

It was organised by charity the International Rescue Commission - whose president is former Labour MP and foreign secretary David Miliband - urging the UK to do more to help those fleeing war torn countries by giving them a home here.

But many have criticised the 'misjudged' display and said it will encourage more people to risk their lives in dangerous crossings to Europe.

It came just hours after Theresa May warned Britain has the right to turn away tens of thousands of economic migrants posing as refugees.

Around 2,500 lifejackets have been laid out in Parliament Square today, pictured, to urge the UK government to do more to help refugees leaving Africa and the Middle East for Europe

The square, pictured, often reserved for military memorials, requires special permission from Sadiq Khan's office for protests

The demonstration was organised by charity the International Rescue Committee to coincide with a UN summit on the crisis

Celebrity protestor: Actress Juliet Stevenson shows her support for the Refugee lifejackets display in Parliament Square

Peter Bone, Conservative MP and former chairman on the All Party Group on Human Trafficking, said the protest was counter productive as it would 'condemn more people to death' by encouraging them to risk their lives coming to Europe.

He said: 'If this protest is highlighting the fact that there are these evil criminal gangs out there giving people fake life jackets then that is fine and an important point.

But if it's saying we should bring more people to the UK then it is just going to encourage more and more people to put themselves in danger and more men, women and children will lose their lives.'

He added: 'What we really need to do is look after people closer to where they a fleeing home in the first safe country nearby, which is what the British government has been doing and I think they should be praised for that.

'Eventually fighting will stop and they will be right there nearby so they can go home again. We are seeing people with the best intentions making this worse by saying we should have lots more people come to the UK.

'But really by doing that you are encouraging these evil trafficking gangs to get involved and that message needs to stop. We need to tackle these gangs mercilessly.'

Speaking on Twitter, Richard Jarrett said: 'Migrant situation very worrying. However this is so misjudged. Like saying "if one had of these you would have survived." #lifejacketlondon'

Twitter user kingisgod added: ' All those self righteous bleeding heart's at #lifejacketlondon why don't u (sic) lay sleeping bags down to represent all homeless here.'

StefanJC added: 'Let's house our own people before we let any refugees in #LifeJacketLondon.'

Tory MP Charlie Elphicke, a leading campaigner against migrant traffickers said: ' This protest is inappropriate and in poor taste.

‘The square is a place for remembering British soldiers who died in battle – such as the 100th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme which took place earlier this summer.’

Mr Elphicke, who represents Dover and Deal, also asked why the protest was allowed to carry on for longer than the normal three-hour limit.

Sanj Srikanthan, the IRC's director of policy and practice, denied the charity was politicising a humanitarian issue and said the seriousness of the situation was 'there for all to see'.

The charity - who worked with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and fellow charities World Vision and Migrant Voice on the display - gathered 2,500 used lifejackets worn by adults and children who have crossed the sea between Turkey and Greece and arranged the huge display across the green.

The display, which will be cleared by 6pm today, is a reflection of a larger 'graveyard' in Greece where there are more than 10,000 lifejackets on a beach.

It comes as the United Nations Migration Summit began today in New York, with 193 countries approving a new document aimed at providing a more 'humane and co-ordinated' response to the refugee crisis.

Mr Srikanthan said: 'Nothing we are doing is misrepresenting any facts. It's happening. We are not talking about migrants, we are talking about refugees.

Visitors walked around the 'graveyard' of lifejackets, pictured, arranged to resemble a similar scene in Greece, where many people have arrived after crossing the Mediterranean Sea

The lifejackets are made up of both adult's and children's sizes with some of the latter branded with Disney stickers

A spokesman for the charity denied it was politicising a humanitarian issue and said the crisis was there for all to see

Speaking on Twitter, Richard Jarrett, left, said: 'Migrant situation very worrying. However this is so misjudged. Like saying "if one had of these you would have survived." #lifejacketlondon'. StefanJC, right, added: 'Let's house our own people before we let any refugees in #LifeJacketLondon.'

Twitter user kingisgod added: ' All those self righteous bleeding heart's at #lifejacketlondon why don't u (sic) lay sleeping bags down to represent all homeless here.'

'This is a way to represent the crisis in a way that is communicable to the public. There are 10,000 lifejackets in Greece and people see them every day. It's not politicising an issue, this is there to be seen.'

Mr Srikanthan added the protest had three aims - calling on world leaders to provide a 'solution' to the international crisis, boost humanitarian aid and solving conflicts in Somalia, Syria and Afghanistan to stop the tide of people fleeing their homes.

He said the display - which has also been described as a poignant by several visitors - represented the 'tragedy of the modern refugee' - with Disney stickers visible on some of the children's lifejackets.

The charity is also calling for the UK to take 25 refugees per political constituency.

The Mayor’s office said it was considered a ‘promotional activity’ and was therefore exempt from the ‘three-hour’ rule. A spokesman said: ‘Given London’s proud history of welcoming refugees and migrants from all over the world, the Mayor gave permission for an event that highlights the plight of those fleeing war and persecution.’

WHAT IS THE INTERNATIONAL RESCUE COMMITTEE? It might sound like something from a certain famous children's puppet show, but the International Rescue Committee serves a serious purpose around the world. Founded in 1933, it offers emergency aid to refugees and those displaced by war, while also helping to set up health, sanitation and education programmes in war-torn countries. It began as the International Relief Association, founded by the Communist and Socialist parties of Germany before the rise of Hitler prompted the organisation to move to Paris. Since then it has merged with counterparts in the US, Spain and Poland to form its current body, which contains several separate divisions tackling specific issues such as female refugees, those affected by ethnic cleansing and disaster relief. Some of the notable conflicts it has provided aid in include aiding Kurdish refugees who fled Saddam Hussein's Iraq during the First Gulf War, those affected by the ethnic cleansing of the Bosnian War and helping Kosovar refugees moving to Macedonia, Albania and Montenegro after the attack by then-Yugoslavia. Its president is former Labour MP and foreign secretary David Miliband, who resigned his seat in 2013 to take up the position. Advertisement

As reported by MailOnline, it is believed around 20 refugees die per day crossing the Mediterranean Sea, with more than 3,000 lives lost so far already this year, a figure reached in July.

As a result, 2016 will be the third successive year where more than 3,000 lives have been lost crossing the Mediterranean.

In 2014, the 3,000 mark was passed on September 21, while last year it was October 15.

According to the International Organisation for Migration, 242,179 migrants and refugees have successfully arrived in Europe by sea during 2016.

Founded in 1933, the IRC has a long history of aiding those either fleeing war-torn countries or caught up in the aftermath of conflicts such as Bosnia, Kosovo and Iraq by helping people to find asylum or providing health and education programmes at home.

It is believed around 20 refugees die per day crossing the Mediterranean Sea, with more than 3,000 lives lost so far already this year

The protests aims are to call for the UK government to do more to house refugees, boost humanitarian aid and do more to stop the conflicts that prompt people to flee their home countries

Under laws brought into force in 2011, campaigners no longer have to inform the police if they are going to set up a demonstration in Parliament Square.

The Police Reform & Social Responsibility Act 2011 was designed to make peaceful protest easier in the vicinity of Parliament, although demonstrations including tents, sleeping equipment and noise amplifiers are still banned.

Meanwhile, the UN has backed the 22-page 'New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants,' a non-binding agreement designed to boost resettlement of refugees and humanitarian aid in war-torn countries.

Opening the summit, Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called on world leaders to commit to 'upholding the rights and dignity of everyone force by circumstance to flee their homes in search of a better life.'