EU Agrees to Military Action to Halt Human Smuggling

The European Union has agreed to crackdown against human smuggling and trafficking from Libya to Italy and other European countries. On Monday, the EU agreed to begin using naval force to try and crackdown on the smuggling boats. There was also discussion over instituting national quotas for housing asylum seekers.

The main smuggling route is from Libya, usually departing from Tripoli, to Sicily, Italy. Over 51,000 migrants have entered Europe by crossing the Mediterranean this year. 30,500 of those migrants have entered via Italy. The route is incredibly dangerous because smugglers often use unsafe fishing boats and pack them with as many people as they can fit. These conditions have led to 1,800 deaths as a result of boats capsizing this year alone. In one incident, over 900 people were smuggled onto a boat that capsized, leaving less than 30 survivors.

Because of Europe’s Common European Asylum System, every refugee that enters Europe is entitled to asylum. As a result of this program, all of the migrants from Libya are allowed entry into Italy.

The EU has proposed assigning quotas for countries providing asylum to refugees. The commission proposal reads that “countries should accept the numbers of asylum seekers corresponding to their population, wealth, and unemployment rate, among other factors”.

This proposal was negatively received by France, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia, Hungary, and Poland.  Beyond this, due to differing EU treaties, the proposal would not apply to Britain, Ireland, and Denmark who maintain an option to “opt-out”.

Europe’s open borders stance has become highly problematic as not all utilizing the Libyan smuggling routes are civilians looking for a better life. The Islamic State has reportedly used the same methods to infiltrate Europe.

Not only does the terror group benefit by smuggling fighters, but they also benefit financially. Migrants will pay the Islamic State to smuggle them into Europe. From this trade, the Islamic State has made a profit of $323 million.

The EU has proposed a three-phase plan to take action against the smugglers/traffickers. Phase one of the plan is intelligence gathering and reconnaissance operations to identify the smuggling boats and evaluate their operation. Phase-one, which Germany has agreed to participate in, will begin after June 22^nd. Phase two and three would be to search, confiscate or destroy the ships involved.

While everyone is on board with the initial phase, the EU is determined not to proceed with phase two and three, which involve using force, until the UN Security Council approves the plan. The EU is also seeking the approval of the Libyan authorities. An ambassador for Libya’s internationally recognized government in Tobruk stated that they had been highly skeptical of the plan because of the threat to the livelihood of fisherman. However, phase one, the intelligence phase, should ensure that the EU has good situational awareness of which boats are those used by innocent fishermen, and which ones are not.

Libya and other European Nations who are hesitant to use military force should recognize that these actions are not simply a stand against smuggling, but also an attack on a major financing operation for the Islamic State. As Islamic State’s threat to Europe, and specifically Italy, grows, it is crucial that action is taken immediately. Until action is taken, Europe will continue to allow unlimited refugees, and terrorists, to enter freely and receive asylum. The current system for granting asylum should be reformed to accommodate the exponential increase in refugees entering Europe. The UN Security Council should quickly approve the plan so that operations can begin to end this dangerous and criminal trade.