Pope Francis has blamed Western military interventions for the rise of the Islamic State terror group and for the distabilising of Libya and the ensuing migration crisis in the Mediterranean.

In an interview for a new book, the Holy Father said the invasion of Iraq and support for jihadi groups in the so-called "Arab Spring" had created more problems than they have solved.

The British and French support for jihadi groups in the Libyan civil war of 2011, which led to the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi, had particularly disastrous consequences, the Pope said.