VIENNA: EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini on Thursday said the bloc and its member states would seek to find “practical solutions” to ensure its migrant rescue operation continues to fight human trafficking in the Mediterranean.
Rome has asked the European Union to modify the rules of the Sophia mission — currently commanded by Italy — and rotate the ports where migrants rescued at sea can disembark, with France and Spain expected to top the list.
Currently all the ships dock in Italy, but Rome’s new right-wing, nationalist government says it should not have to carry the burden on its own and it is time other EU states do their fair share by taking in more of the migrants.
In comments after informal talks by EU defence ministers, Mogherini said finding a solution to continue the mission, which ends at the end of this year, “will not be an easy exercise”.
“We finalised the meeting with an understanding that we will continue to work together... to find a consensus on practical, sustainable solutions on the issue of how to manage the people that are disembarked by the vessels with a constructive, cooperative and responsible attitude from all member states,” she said after the meeting in Vienna.
“Losing this asset would be a major step back for all member states and for the union and would be negative for the security of the Mediterranean and also for the security of the people we’re talking about.”
She said one solution would be to have more ports for disembarkation — as Italy has proposed — while another could be relocation after disembarkation.
If Sophia, which was set up three years ago to fight human trafficking, fails, more people could arrive again over the dangerous sea route, she warned. — AFP
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