(MENAFN- QNA) EU foreign ministers on Monday launched a military mission in the Mediterranean Sea aimed at cracking down on migrant smuggling networks, as part of a broader effort to curb the loss of life.
The European Union is experiencing an unprecedented influx of migrants attempting to reach the bloc's southern shores by paying smugglers to place them on rickety, overcrowded vessels.
"EUNAVFOR Med launched," an EU diplomat wrote on Twitter, using the official name for the mission.
The aim of the operation is to "attack the smugglers and the traffickers, and dismantle their business model," EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said ahead of a meeting of foreign ministers in Luxembourg on Monday.
The operation has three phases, the first of which could begin within a week, according to EU sources. It will consist of maritime and airborne surveillance activities to collect information on smugglers' activities.
"Several" EU member states have so far pledged to take part in the operation, which will require ships, aircraft and drones, a senior EU official said on Friday, without going into detail.
Phases two and three of the operation - which could include seizing or even destroying vessels and equipment on high seas, in Libyan waters or even onshore - are on hold while the EU seeks the backing of Libyan authorities and a United Nations Security Council mandate.
The full extent of the mission will depend on what kind of mandate is granted.
Libya, which is beset by a power struggle between two rival governments, has been the main staging post for smugglers sending migrants to sea.
Internationally brokered efforts are underway to encourage the formation of a government of national unity.
The military mission will be expected to rescue any migrants in distress encountered at sea, in line with international laws, while airborne surveillance on migrant boats will be passed on to search and rescue services, according to sources.
The planned operation is part of a broader EU approach to migration, which also includes proposals to directly resettle migrants from war-torn countries such as Syria.
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