GETTY Mediterranean mayhem: Right wing group set to sail for search and rescue zone outside Libya

FREE now and never miss the top politics stories again. SUBSCRIBE Invalid email Sign up fornow and never miss the top politics stories again. We will use your email address only for sending you newsletters. Please see our Privacy Notice for details of your data protection rights.

‘Generation Identitaire’ activists working for the Defend Europe movement are heading for the Mediterranean waters outside Libya where search and rescue missions (SAR) are preventing mass drownings from packed-out dinghies and wooden boats. Lifeguards are bringing thousands to the EU once they are pulled from the perilous waters - but the sheer numbers are sparking a new backlash from young right-wing groups. The charities and NGOs are rescuing men, women and children desperate to flee war-torn Libya, but a crew on an anti-migrant boat called ‘C-Star’ refuse to accept their stories of rape, abuse and torture. Martin Sellner, a founder of the Austrian branch of the Identitarian movement has claimed the NGOs are “luring people into the sea”. Now, they say they will put an end to daily drop-offs in Sicily. Alt-right Canadian political activist Lauren Southern was on the first boat sent into EU waters in May, which attempted to block an NGO bringing migrants to shore in Italy. Speaking exclusively to Express.co.uk, Miss Southern said their mission was to record NGOs “breaking the law” and stop migrants being brought to Europe. NGOs accused GI of setting out to murder innocent people.

Twitter Mediterranean migrant crisis: The C-Star has set sail for Search and Rescue (SAR) zone

GETTY Children are among the thousands being brought to Europe

However, Miss Southern said the C-Star will attempt to ferry migrants back to Libya. She said: “We will not cause anyone to lose their life, if there is a call for help or distress we have to follow the law and help people, but we will not be bringing them back to Europe, we will be brining them back to Libya. “There are little things we can do - we will not be harming people. “The NGOs are supposed to sink the migrant boats so they cannot be re-used and we are fairly certain they are not doing that.” The astonishing claim was met with indignation by charities who accused Miss Southern of stunning naivety.

Witnessed: The dramatic rescues of desperate refugees from the Mediterranean Mon, June 5, 2017 The Daily Express witnessed first-hand the dramatic rescue of refugees – all victims of rape and torture – from the waters of the Mediterranean Play slideshow 1 of 8 Babies were among the 389 rescued

Militia and government forces are fighting on the beaches daily, with many refugees being shot dead as they try to escape, say the NGOs. Kidnapping, torture and human rights abuses are part of daily life in the North African nation. Yet GI refuses to accept the situation is that bad. Miss Southern claims the rescue missions stop ‘real’ refugees from being able to make it to safety. She said: “The UN is a very pro-migrant organisation - yet it was they who reported 70 per cent of people coming are economic migrants. “A very small percentage are coming because they fear for their safety and there is no distinction made by the NGOs. “There are currently people, real families, who are stuck in these countries and waiting for legal asylum to Europe. “They are families - and they are waiting five years because fighting age men are coming over illegally on boats. “This is infuriating. The EU needs to approach this more responsibly instead of opening the flood gates and putting European lives in danger.”

Twitter Defend Europe's Brittany Pettibone and Lauren Southern want migrants to remain in war torn Libya

Zoie O'Brien Mediterranean rescue missions could be disrupted by Defend Europe movement

We think these far-right activists are naive in the extreme and are only pouring petrol on the fire if they think they can rock up Hope Not Hate

The C-Star crew has hit a number of embarrassing issues early on in its mission, including crew being arrested. Previously known as ‘Suunta’, the boat is a Finnish-made research vessel flagged to Mongolia, owned by Sven Tomas Egerstrom, director of Marine Global Services LTD. The ship was recorded as a “floating armoury” in 2014 leading to fears the crew could be armed. However, the boat was searched in Egypt and authorities found no evidence of weapons. The group was detained in the Suez Canal when its captain failed to produce a satisfactory crew list last week. Anti-racism and civil rights campaign, Hope Not Hate told Express.co.uk GI has failed to understand the situation unfolding in the Mediterranean. A spokesman said: “We think these far-right activists are naive in the extreme and are only pouring petrol on the fire if they think they can rock up, with armed personnel, and begin harassing NGOs rescuing people in the water or trying to return refugees back to Libya. “Libya is a failed state with two governments, competing militias, the presence of Islamic State and a coastguard which doesn’t even control all the coast. “The comprehensive legal briefings we’ve commissioned to assist NGOs suggest that anyone returning legitimate refugees could possibly contravene the non-refoulement obligation under Article 33 of the 1951 SAR Convention. “Directly facilitating the onward transfer of those migrants/refugees to detention locations where their human rights would most likely be abused also contravenes that Convention.”

GETTY Refugee crisis: African men and women are dying in the Med every day

The UN report said 70 per cent of those arriving are economic migrants looking for work and benefits in the UK. However, those who want a new start in Europe say they will die if they do not find income - as will their families in some of the world’s poorest countries. Hope Not Hate said the GI movement is filled with Holocaust deniers and former neo-nazis. A spokesman said: “People are free to debate and discuss the migrant and refugee crisis as much as they want, without including those who are talking about a ‘reconquering’ of Europe. “We will be lobbying all the relevant authorities, payment platforms, working with NGO partners and continuing to bring out further exposés of Defend Europe and those supporting its mission.” NGOs and charities in the Mediterranean told Express.co.uk they will not be cowered by Defend Europe - and they will not stand back and let people die at sea. The C-Star mission has been crowdfunded by supporters all over the world - at the last count more than €110,000 was donated.

Heartbreaking images of migrants held in Libya detention centre Tue, March 7, 2017 Sixty women, 20 children and 115 men were being held at the detention centre when UNICEF visited on 29th January 2017. Conditions at the centre are poor, with dozens of people crowded into small spaces on old mattresses. Play slideshow UNICEF 1 of 11 A migrant gestures from behind the bars of a cell at a detention centre in Libya

Miss Southern said people are “voting with their dollar” since they are “too afraid” to admit in Europe they do not want open door migration. The Canadian said Defend Europe received so many applications from professional seamen to join the crew they were sifting through resumes. She said: “We never imagined we would have a ship the size of the NGOs ships and that we would have it donated to us. “Now we can put donations towards other things like intelligence gathering and getting the crew here. “We have had more people come forward and say they would like to get involved. There is the potential for even more boats. “Martin called me and we were trying to decide who to take on board - we had enough military and sailors to have our own personal army. “The crew is top notch.”

However, those returning to Libya have told of experiencing some of the most vile human rights abuses imaginable. Men have been jailed and sold on slave markets and women repeatedly raped, attacked, burned and abused. Most have seen friends and family members murdered or - in the case of economic migrants - are out of work and starving in countries where dictators keep the military in arms and the people out of basic food and water.

Twitter Martin Sellner, founder of the Austrian branch of the Identitarian movement, will be on the boat

Zoie O'Brien Mothers and babies are among those who Defend Europe want to sail back to Libya