20 percent drop in number of migrants from Libya

by Naharnet Press Office over 6 years old

The number of illegal migrants leaving Libya for Europe has fallen by 20 percent since the start of 2017, the European naval force tasked with combating human trafficking in the Mediterranean announced on Thursday.

“We have seen a drop in the number of people leaving Libya for Europe this year, of around 20 percent,” said Enrico Credendino, commander of the force, during a press conference aboard the ship Cantabria. at the port of La Goulette, near Tunis.

The summer saw a 75 percent drop compared to the same period in 2016, with deaths at sea falling by 60 percent, said the head of Europe's anti-trafficking operation, Sophia .

This drop is explained in particular by the support provided to the Libyan coast guard, which received four Italian patrol boats and training.

“Thanks to the training we have provided, they are now able to patrol territorial waters more effectively, combat all types of crime and also save lives,” the commander said.

The EU Ambassador to Tunis, Patrice Bergamini, called on Tunisia to help neighboring Libya with its “know-how” in migration, in support of Operation Sophia.

The European Union launched the anti-trafficking operation in 2015 after two shipwrecks killed 1,200 migrants in April of that year.

The operation, which claims to have intercepted 117 smugglers and seized 482 of their vessels, has been criticized for failing to effectively stop the smugglers.