AFM patrol boat in Frontex mission

Malta may have taken a breather from dealing with illegal migrants but for 17 soldiers the next four weeks will be a crude reminder that one country’s reprieve is another’s burden.

After the flow of immigration in the central Mediterranean was stymied when Italy and Libya agreed to jointly patrol the Libyan coast, the focus shifted to the border between Greece and Turkey.

Although the biggest problem is the land border between the two eastern Mediterranean countries, the EU’s Frontex border patrol mission in Greece has not let down its guard in the sea separating both countries.

An Armed Forces of Malta patrol boat is expected to join the Frontex mission, code-named Poseidon Sea, off the Greek island of Samos, barely two kilometres from mainland Turkey.

The P-52 patrol boat is expected to leave Malta tomorrow with 16 crew members on board for a four-week deployment. They will be joined by Acting Lieutenant Colonel Andrew Mallia, Malta’s officer at the Frontex coordination centre in Piraeus.

According to Lt Col Mallia the operation is a preventive one meant to deter criminal organisations from using the sea route to traffic people.

“The risk at this time of the year is low and, of late, the focus has shifted more to the land border between Greece and Turkey. However, with Greece wanting to build a fence, the flow of immigration may revert back to the sea route,” he said.

Speaking at the AFM’s maritime squadron base in Pietà, where the final preparations were being made, Lt Col Mallia said the mission was a show of solidarity with Greece.

“It is always important for the EU to have secure external borders and, as Malta has always said, one country’s problem is everybody else’s,” he said.

The deployment comes in the shadow of an incident last year when five Maltese soldiers forming part of the land-based Frontex mission on the Greek island of Lesvos were recalled by the army after they were involved in a bar brawl while off-duty.

When asked whether the incident negatively influenced the AFM’s participation in this year’s mission, Lt Col Mallia said this was not the case. “Our personnel have a code of conduct they must adhere to at all times. I do not foresee any problems. The crew members are mature and experienced and I am confident they will act responsibly,” he said.

The AFM deployment is also considered to be an important training exercise for the soldiers, who will be operating in a new environment.

According to Captain Etienne Scicluna, who will lead the crew, the deployment is “a challenge and an adventure”.

“It is one of the longest deployments for a patrol boat since we will be travelling some 700 miles over 60 hours to reach the destination. We are honoured to have been chosen to serve our country in this way,” he said.

The patrol boat will be operating strictly on the Greek side of the sea border with Turkey, which is very sensitive given the geographical proximity and the historical animosity of the two countries. It will remain under Maltese command and the soldiers will operate in line with the mission guidelines agreed beforehand.

ksansone@timesofmalta.com