EU to launch military operation against human traffickers
The Council of the European Union decided on Monday to establish the EU´s EUNAVFOR Med military operation to fight against the business model of smugglers and traffickers of people in the Mediterranean.
This decision is “one element of the comprehensive EU response to the migration challenge“ and will enable the start of a naval operation based on international law and in partnership with the Lybian authorities.
UK Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Philip Hammond said he expected “a reasonable degree of co-operation” from the Libyans who share a desire to “see this trade dry up”.
Read more:Lybia could confront EU attacks on human traffickers
saving lives at sea, working on the root causes and dismantling criminal networks that are smuggling people
"Not one single action will be effective alone. All different parts of our action are relevant: saving lives at sea, working on the root causes with our partners and dismantling criminal networks that are smuggling people," the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini said.
The cost of the mission is estimated at €11.82m for a two months start-up phase plus an initial mandate of 12 months, and will consist on three differentiate phases: information gathering and patrols, search and seizure of smuggler boats on the sea, and operations in Libyan waters to stop, seize or render “inoperable” suspect vessels.
The third section will require a UN resolution authorising action that UK and France are leading efforts to secure, the Financial Times reported.
The launch of the mission will be decided on the Foreign Affairs Council that will take place in June.
This announcement came a day after the President of the European Council Donald Tusk recognised that the EU needed to work out a new policy to tackle the migration problem.
The European Commision last week unveiled a strategy aimed to give asylum to more than 20,000 refugees over the next two weeks, through a quota system that the UK, Ireland and Denmark were allowed to escape from.
Read more: EC to allow UK to escape asylum quota system
According to ACNUR, the UN refugee agency, about 51,000 migrants have entered Europe by crossing the Mediterranean this year, 1,800 of whom have drowned in the attempt.
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