Berlin – The European Union’s anti-migrant smuggling mission in the Mediterranean, Operation Sophia, is helping human traffickers, the German government said on Tuesday.
Human trafficking organisations “reckon with ships in the waters as part of their modus operandi,” the government said in answer to a query submitted by the Left.
It said the organisations know that “international maritime law obliges (these ships) to administer emergency assistance.”
“The government regards with concern how human traffickers are adjusting their business model” because of this knowledge, the government said.
The German Navy has rescued 9,455 migrants and refugees from the Mediterranean since the operation started in June 2015.
Another 22,641 people have been rescued by the other 24 nations taking part in it while a total of 351 boats belonging to traffickers have been sunk.
An estimated 180,000 people set out to reach Europe from North Africa via the Mediterranean in 2016, 4,500 of whom did not survive the journey.
At least week’s EU summit in Malta, the bloc’s leaders agreed on a 10-point plan to stem the flow of migrants and refugees to Europe via the dangerous sea crossing.
The plan includes stepping up assistance for the Libyan coastguard to stop migrant boats in the country’s territorial waters, and providing support for setting up safe refugee camps in the country. .