E.U. Agrees to Naval Intervention on Human Traffickers

Source: New York Times

MAY 18, 2015

BRUSSELS — European Union foreign and defense ministers agreed on Monday to establish naval operations to disrupt human traffickers from setting off from North Africa, a potentially significant shift in how to deal with a swelling crisis that has strained the ability of countries to absorb tens of thousands of migrants and refugees, fueled social and political tensions across Europe, and led to thousands of migrant deaths at sea.

A decision to militarize the crisis in the Mediterranean appeared to have the support of the NATO secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, who said the alliance could offer assistance if called on. But the use of European naval power to address the crisis is likely to require further approvals from European governments as well as coastal states in North Africa or from the United Nations Security Council.

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The tougher stand against smuggling comes amid a spike in migration to Europe, driven by economic hardship and a crescent of conflicts involving Islamic extremists from Nigeria and Mali to Somalia and Syria. Most critically, overshadowing the crisis is the prospect of uncontrolled migration from Libya, where a civil war and the limited reach of the authorities have made it easier for smugglers to use the country as a launching pad for the dangerous journey to the European Union.

There were about 17 times as many refugee deaths — more than 1,800 — from January to April this year as there were during the same period last year. Over all, 436,000 people applied for asylum across Europe last year, according to the United Nations refugee agency. Just in Italy, the nation most affected by the crisis in the Mediterranean because of its proximity to Libya, about 33,000 have applied for asylum so far this year, on top of 170,000 arrivals last year.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/19/world/europe/european-union-human-trafficking-military.html?partner=rss&emc=rss