The EU has agreed upon a naval mission to target gangs smuggling migrants from Libya but details remain unclear, as member states weigh their options.
Defence ministers meeting in Brussels yesterday agreed on a military operation, but a UN Security Council mandate will be needed for warships to enter Libyan territorial waters to intercept and destroy boats used by traffickers.
National Security Minister Carmelo Abela told Times of Malta it was still too early to say whether Maltese soldiers will be deployed in active roles.
“It is now for the EU military planners to hammer out operational details and other technical issues and the Armed Forces of Malta has two officers temporarily stationed in Brussels to contribute to this effort,” he said.
Maltese soldiers have been actively involved in the EU’s anti-piracy mission off the Somali coast by being embedded on Dutch warships. The EU plan for the southern central Mediterranean excludes putting soldiers on the ground in Libya.
No Maltese soldiers will be deployed inside Libya
“The Prime Minister made it clear no Maltese soldiers will be deployed inside Libya when there was talk of putting boots on the ground, but the mission that has been approved excludes this and political decisions on Malta’s involvement will have to be taken at a later stage,” Mr Abela said.
He insisted that a UN mandate was crucial for the mission to succeed.
Leading EU member states like the UK, France, Italy and Spain have pledged military support for the mission. Ministers approved a four-phase plan that could start by next month. The first phase foresees information gathering on the smuggling networks that can go ahead without UN authorisation, with diplomats saying that drones, ships and helicopters could be used.
Ship boarding of unflagged migrant boats in international waters will also be possible without a UN mandate, since international law already provides for this. Mr Abela said there were still some issues to be resolved but insisted this was also “an issue of credibility” and member states had to resolve them in the best way possible.
‘Just the beginning. Now planning starts’
Foreign Minister George Vella was also present. The meeting was chaired by High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Federica Mogherini. She has been leading efforts to tackle the migrant smuggling networks since the EU was jolted into action last month when more than 800 people died in a single incident off the Libyan coast.
“This is just the beginning. Now the planning starts,” she said of the naval mission, adding that the operation could start next month. “There is a clear sense of urgency. As summer comes, more people are travelling,” Ms Mogherini added.
Ministers decided that the operation will be headquartered in Rome and led by an Italian admiral.
Meanwhile, the UK is drafting a resolution for approval by the UN Security Council to allow EU warships to operate inside Libyan territorial waters.
Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, who was present at the meeting in Brussels, urged the EU to move, saying Islamic State militants might be “also trying to hide, to blend in among the migrants” in order to get to Europe.
Some 51,000 migrants have entered Europe by crossing the Mediterranean this year, with 30,500 coming through Italy. Approximately 1,800 have drowned in the attempt, the UN refugee agency says. Thousands of migrants who have fled war and poverty in the Middle East and Africa are leaving Libya, a State that has descended into anarchy, with two rival governments and groups affiliated with Islamic State vying for power since Muammar Gaddafi was ousted in 2011.
Libyan officials from the Tripoli government, which is not recognised by the international community, have been warning against any EU military action in Libyan territory. Most of the migrant smuggling networks operate from Libya’s west coast.
In a separate course of action, the European Commission last week presented a comprehensive strategy to tackle the migration crisis, including a plan to take in 20,000 more refugees over the next two years.
But EU leaders are divided over a proposal to have mandatory quotas for resettlement as some countries have experienced the rise of far right political parties.
Another aspect of the strategy includes greater efforts by Frontex, the EU border agency, to repatriate migrants who do not qualify for international protection.
Additional reporting by Reuters.