There is an irony that the stand-off which has led to 27 migrants from Libya being stuck on a Maersk Tankers vessel for a month has set an ugly record for the length of time people have taken refuge on a merchant ship.

For back in 2017, Robert Maersk Uggla, the chief executive and family head of AP Moller Holding that owns the tanker company, launched a $1bn infrastructure fund to invest in projects in Africa, saying: “We all have to worry about what is happening in Africa.”