EU agrees to destroy boats used by human traffickers

EU ministers have approved plans to set up a naval force to combat human-traffickers operating from Libya.

EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said the mission will launch next month, with a headquarters in Rome under an Italian admiral.

There would be three phases in the naval mission: intelligence gathering on traffickers, inspection and detection of traffickers’ boats, and the destruction of those boats.

“It is not so much the destruction of the boats but the destruction of the business models of the smugglers’ networks themselves,” Mogherini explained.

She was speaking after a meeting with EU foreign and defence ministers.
On 23 April, EU leaders committed to undertake systematic efforts to identify, capture and destroy vessels of human traffickers and smugglers before they are used.

In addition, EU leaders agreed to strengthen the EU's presence at sea, fighting traffickers in accordance with international law, preventing illegal migration flows and reinforcing internal solidarity and responsibility.

Leaders also agreed to increase EU support to key transit countries to monitor and control their land border and routes.

The United Kingdom is spearheading the EU ‘s efforts in seeking approval from the United Nations to draft a resolution that would give the EU a legal basis for its plan, which would allow it to go after smugglers in Libyan waters — and possibly even on land.

Nationalist MEP Roberta Metsola welcomed the EU's decision, but warned that it shouldn't be seen as the "be-all-and-end-all" of EU action on the migration issue in the Mediterranean.

"It must go hand-in-hand with other measures in order to approach the entire migration reality in a holistic manner in the long-term," Metsola said. "The operation should help in saving lives and boost security in the region. I look forward to the discussions in the coming weeks as the details of the operation will be made clearer as the legal, and geo-political aspects are ironed out."

Russia has made it clear that it opposes the use of jets and helicopters, and would support only a naval operation. But there are questions about whether EU naval operations could include destroying traffickers’ assets “ashore,” possibly by sending special forces units for targeted operations in Libyan ports.

“How would the EU forces differentiate between a smuggling boat and a fishing boat?” German MEP Reinhard Bütikofer, co-chair of the European Green Party, has asked.

“What would they do if they got attacked by one or the other side of the Libyan conflict? How could they avoid civilian casualties when operating in Libyan harbors? The EU must not slide down this slippery slope.” 

EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said the EU will go ahead even without UN backing although with the military operation far from Libyan airspace and waters.