Aodhán Ó Ríordáin (Dublin North Central, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The Government shares the concerns of the Deputies about the ongoing human tragedy on the Mediterranean. At EU level, since the more than 300 migrants drowned off the Italian island of Lampedusa in October 2013, this issue has appeared on the agenda at almost every Justice and Home Affairs Council and was a major priority of the Italian Presidency. We should never forget that this is essentially an issue of enormous human tragedy.

Deputies will appreciate that notwithstanding the complexities of the issues, the human tragedy dimension must never be relegated to a less important issue. Huge numbers of people are willing or, in some cases, forced to take major life threatening risks to reach Europe. In many cases, this is driven by the desperate need to escape the situation in their own country, for example, Syria. Allied to this is the major financial incentive this traffic provides for ruthless criminal gangs to engage in smuggling and trafficking and for whom life is cheap and migrant safety an irrelevant consideration. The vessels used to transport migrants are, in many cases, unseaworthy or otherwise ill-equipped to undertake a voyage in adverse weather. These factors are further compounded by the unstable situation in Libya, the main country of transit and embarkation point for the vessels.

The Mare Nostrum search and rescue operation which had rescued well in excess of 100,000 people was discontinued with effect from last November by the Italian authorities on the commencement of Operation Triton co-ordinated by Frontex, the European external borders agency, although the mandates and range are not the same. However, I understand that in recent days the vessels and aeroplanes involved in Operation Triton have helped to save more than 3,000 migrants who departed from Libya. The journey for other migrants has sadly ended in a different way. Even when people are rescued, issues arise as to how they are to be dealt with within member states' asylum systems and there are considerable pressures on member states in the Mediterranean region in whose territory the migrants land.

The focus of EU policy in this area has been multidimensional, reflecting the fact that a migrant's ultimate journey by sea to the European Union can be influenced by many factors. Therefore, the response highlighted actions, in co-operation with third countries, including regional protection; resettlement and reinforced legal avenues to Europe; the fight against trafficking, smuggling and organised crime; reinforced border surveillance contributing to the saving of lives of migrants on the Mediterranean and assistance to member states on the front line. Greater funding from Frontex is also important.

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