EU warships start smuggler patrols
European warships in the Mediterranean launched a new operation yesterday to catch migrant smugglers as the leaders of Germany and France were to push for further EU action to cope with the refugee crisis.
The military mission dubbed Operation Sophia involves six naval vessels in international waters off Libya with the power to stop, board, seize and destroy traffickers' boats in a bid to curb the worst crisis of its kind since World War II.
"Assets will conduct boarding, search, seizure and diversion, on the high seas, of vessels suspected of being used for human smuggling or trafficking," the EU mission said in a statement.
An Italian aircraft carrier, a French frigate and one British, one Spanish and two German ships are all involved in the mission, which follows in the footsteps of EU anti-piracy operations on the Horn of Africa.
"We follow the traffickers and want to arrest them and seize their ships," Captain Stefan Klatt, who commands the Werra, one of the German ships that is taking part in the operation, told AFP.
The EU gave the go-ahead for the operation in international waters in September, but its ships are not, for now, allowed to pursue traffickers into Libyan waters.
Greek police said yesterday they have arrested 12 members of a gang that forged documents for migrants trying to reach central Europe, hailing the swoop as an important blow against a major people-smuggling operation.
Meanwhile, Spain's King Felipe VI pleaded with Europeans not to let down the waves of refugees seeking peace and prosperity in the EU.
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