Efforts to get last Libya Britons

2011-02-25 09:57:20

25 February 2011 Last updated at 18:38 Share this page Delicious Digg Facebook reddit StumbleUpon Twitter Email Print Libya evacuation: Cameron pledge on remaining Britons

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British nationals speak of "disastrous" evacuation from Libya

The frigate HMS Cumberland has picked up 207 people including 68 British nationals from Benghazi and is due to arrive in Malta tonight, where evacuees can pick up flights to the UK.

The FCO in London said it had taken more than 1,000 calls in the past 24 hrs from either British nationals wanting to leave Libya, or from family and colleagues in the UK.

Some 25 specialist extra Foreign Office staff have been sent to reinforce teams in Malta and Libya, and the FCO has also helped nationals from about 25 other countries to leave Libya.

A Foreign Office spokesman said: "The security and wellbeing of British nationals is our absolute priority.

"We are doing all we can to get them out of Libya, drawing on both military and commercial assets, as well as working with international partners.

"Our priority is ensuring British nationals can leave Libya as quickly and as safely as soon as possible."

Among the Britons to have been evacuated was a woman who was airlifted with her newborn baby by an Irish government Learjet.

Continue reading the main story Eyewitness

Time goes slowly when you're stuck in a country in turmoil, writes an anonymous oil worker based on the outskirts of Tripoli.

Mobile communications have been down for several days now, and the internet is sporadic at best.

We have been depending on a generator for much of our electricity, so have managed to keep a semblance of normal life ongoing.

We have enough supplies to last for two months, but fresh food and bread are luxuries we shall have to wait for. At night we sit and worry about our colleagues in other parts of the country, wondering whether they are safe.

Some of you may be wondering why I'm still here. Well, the reason is simple. I have four men still stuck in the desert, and I won't be leaving the country until they have been safely evacuated.

Mr Cameron has apologised for the speed of the government's response and said lessons would be learned from it.

Labour leader Ed Miliband said: "There is a worrying whiff of incompetence about the way this government is handling this issue, and it's become a pattern with this government about the way decisions are made and the way things are handled.

"Frankly, I think Mr Cameron has got to get a grip on the way this Government works."

Latest reports from Tripoli say anti-government protesters have come under heavy gunfire.

Protests in the Libyan capital resumed as demonstrators seeking the overthrow of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi emerged from mosques following Friday prayers.

'Opportunity for change'

Mr Cameron discussed Libya on the telephone with US President Barack Obama on Thursday night.

Continue reading the main story Find out more about the evacuation

A Downing Street spokesman said: "The prime minister updated the president on his trip to the Middle East, stressing the importance of seizing this moment of opportunity for change in the region.

"The leaders discussed Libya and agreed to work together closely on the swift evacuation of nationals. They also agreed to co-ordinate on possible multilateral measures on Libya, including at the UN Human Rights Council on Monday."

The European Union's High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Baroness Ashton, said the bloc was considering sanctions, including travel bans and asset freezes, to "put as much pressure as possible" on Libya to stop the violence.

Continue reading the main story Foreign Office helplines UK nationals in Libya wishing to get on the charter flights are advised to call 020 7008 0000 from the UK or 021 340 3644/45 from Libya Libyan crackdown 'escalates' - UN PM backs Libya 'war crimes' probe Libya unrest: Your experiences

Speaking on Friday, Mr Cameron expressed support for an investigation into whether the Libyan regime had committed "war crimes" in its crackdown on anti-government protests.

"The message is very clear: that the violence we have seen is appalling and unacceptable," he said.

He added: "People working for this regime should remember that international justice has a long reach and a long memory and they will be held to account for what they do."

UK nationals wishing to register an interest in flights out of Libya should call 020 7008 0000 from the UK or 021 340 3644/45 from Libya.

The Foreign Office is advising against all but essential travel to Libya.

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