Italy plans to deploy ships into Libyan waters by end of August

Italy plans to send its warships to Libyan waters by the end of August after the country’s Tripoli-based government invited the European country to help in the fight against human trafficking in the Mediterranean.

A mission plan should be brought to the Italian cabinet for approval on Friday, and the necessary parliamentary vote to endorse it may be held next week, Reuters reports a government source to say.

“The exact number of ships and sailors is still being worked out,” said the source. If parliament approves, the mission might begin “by the end of August”, he said, explaining that the navy can be ready to put it in place “in a matter of hours.”

Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni met with military chiefs and ministers on Thursday to discuss “security, immigration and the Libyan situation,” according to a statement.

Tripoli had refused access to its waters to the European Union’s anti-trafficking sea mission Sophia since 2015, hobbling efforts to stop smugglers.

The new stance came just a day after the two rival factions in the North African country reached an agreement to end the fighting and hold elections as soon as possible.

Around 600,000 migrants have reached Italy by sea from North Africa since 2014. Most came through Libya, where people smugglers operate with impunity amid the turmoil that has gripped the country since Muammar Gaddafi was overthrown in 2011.

Migrants who reach international waters are brought to Italy because Libya is not considered a safe place for refugees, and returning them there would be a violation of international non-refoulement law.

(CGTN)