Operation Sophia commander in Malta to meet Libyan coast guard trainees

The Commander of the European Union’s naval operation tasked with identifying, capturing and disposing of vessels and other assets used or suspected of being used by migrant smugglers or traffickers, has met Libyan Coast Guard trainees currently undergoing specialised training in Malta.

Rear Admiral Enrico Credendino, EUNAVFOR MED Operation ‘SOPHIA’ commander, met the trainees at the AFM’s Maritime Safety and Security Training Centre (MSSTC). 

The training module is part of a broader initiative set forth by EUNAVFOR MED which is aimed at training Libyan coast guard officers.

Operation Sophia is but one element of a broader EU comprehensive response to the migration issue, which seeks to address not only its physical component, but also its root causes as well including conflict, poverty, climate change and persecution.

It complements wider EU efforts to disrupt the business model of human smuggling and trafficking networks in the Southern Central Mediterranean and prevent the further loss of life at sea.

Since 7 October 2015, the operation moved into second phase, which entails boarding, search, seizure and diversion, on the high seas, of vessels suspected of being used for human smuggling or trafficking.

While in Malta, Credendino also met Brigadier Jeffrey Curmi, commander of the AFM.