Frontex Operation in Med to start tomorrow

A Frontex Operation is due to start tomorrow with the deployment of aerial and maritime assets from Italy and Malta, Frontex said in a statement.

It said that joint operation Hermes 2011 is starting five days after it received a request from Italy for operational assistance.

Frontex said that in the following days the second line activities will be activated with the deployment of debriefing/screening experts. Their task will be to gather information necessary needed for analysis, to make assumptions concerning migrants’ nationalities, and to enable early detection and prevention of possible criminal activities at the EU external borders.

The next important element of the operation will be to provide assistance at the following stage focusing on organising return operations to the countries of origin.

Frontex risk analysis experts will be supporting Italian authorities producing targeted risk analysis identifying vulnerabilities and security risks that might occur at the EU southern external border.