We had to deny Christianity to stop ISIS from cutting off our heads-African migrants(Photo)

Christian migrants from Africa have spoken of making the perilous journey across the Mediterranean to escape beheading from Islamic State fanatics in Libya.

A group of Eritrean refugees told how they were forced to deny their faith or face death at the hands of Islamist gunmen who patrol the towns and beaches of the North African state searching for 'infidels'.

Haben, 19, told MailOnline:

'We are Christians but we had to deny our faith otherwise the gunmen would kill us, slit our throats and cut off our heads.'

He and his brother Samuel, 14, arrived in Sicily a week ago, just days before around 900 people died when their boat capsized during the same dangerous journey from Libya.Haben said his friends had been shot dead by armed ISIS terrorists who patrol the anarchy-ridden towns and beaches of the country.

'I have friends - from Eritrea and Egypt - who were killed because they are Christians.The men come around with Kalashnikov and they ask you what is your faith. If you are Christian they take you away and kill you. They cut off your head or shoot you. This is what they have done to hundreds of Christians.'

Aman, 18, said:

'I had a wooden cross but I had to throw it away to keep my life. The gunmen came around looking for Christians. They said they would kill the infidels, so I cut my cross off my neck and threw it away.'I speak Arabic so I pretended that I was not a Christian, that I pray to their God, and they believed me.'