Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan for raising this important. An Irish Naval Service vessel first deployed in the Mediterranean in May 2015 in Operation Pontus, a humanitarian search and rescue mission undertaken as part of a bilateral arrangement with Italian authorities. In the three years since that first deployment, the Naval Service of the Irish Defence Forces has rescued more than 18,000 migrants.

In July 2017, I secured Government and Dáil approval for the deployment of a contingent of the Permanent Defence Force to serve as part of the EU naval operation against human smugglers and traffickers in the southern central Mediterranean, Operation Sophia. In the course of the subsequent deployment of LÉ Niamhfrom October to December 2017 as part of Operation Sophia, the crew took part in search and rescue operations rescuing 613 migrants and assisting with a further 107 migrant rescues.

It should be noted that migrants rescued by the Naval Service are brought to a safe port or transferred to another vessel to be taken to a safe port. In that regard, migrants rescued by Operation Sophia are brought to ports in Sicily. In addition, the Irish vessel also undertook activities in support of the core task of the mission including gathering information on oil smuggling; patrols focusing on countering illegal arms trafficking; operations to intercept smugglers; and monitoring the effectiveness of the Libyan Navy and coastguard activity.

Operation Sophia’s mission is to identify, capture and dispose of vessels and enabling assets used or suspected of being used by migrant smugglers or traffickers; to prevent further loss of life at sea and to reduce the suffering and exploitation of migrants by countering and challenging the criminal organisations engaged in such activities. Operation Sophia is one element of a comprehensive approach to addressing the migrant crisis. The mission is also providing capacity building and training to the Libyan Coastguard and Navy and contributing to the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 2292. This imposes an arms embargo on Libya in an effort to prevent the flow of illicit arms and related materiel into that country.

In February 2018, the Government again approved the continued participation of the Naval Service in Operation Sophia. Two naval vessels will deploy this year for a period of approximately 30 weeks in total. LÉ Samuel Beckettdeparted the naval base on 15 April to participate in Operation Sophia.

Operation Sophia has been effective in discharging its mission, including to identify, capture and dispose of vessels and enabling assets used or suspected of being used by migrant smugglers or traffickers. The mission is providing training to the Libyan Navy and coastguard and its presence constitutes an internationally recognised deterrent. There has been a significant drop in the number of migrants being smuggled to Europe on the central Mediterranean route and the number of deaths reported at sea has decreased.

The training being provided to the Libyan Navy and coastguard aims to improve the security of Libyan territorial waters; to enhance law enforcement at sea; and to improve their ability to perform search and rescue activities at sea. I am deeply troubled by reports of the grave and ongoing abuses perpetrated against migrants and refugees in Libya, including in detention centres. The Tánaiste and his EU counterparts have discussed these concerns on a number of occasions at the EU Foreign Affairs Council, and the Taoiseach raised his concerns at the European Council in October last year. I join my Government colleagues in calling on the Libyan Government, and all parties, including those with de facto control of territory, to take steps to eliminate ill-treatment of migrants and to facilitate access to detention centres by UN agencies and other humanitarian organisations.

The EU provides training, including in international humanitarian law, human rights and gender issues, to Libyan authorities. The EU is also working with the African Union and the UN to save and protect the lives of migrants and refugees in Libya, accelerating assisted voluntary returns to countries of origin and the resettlement of those in need of international protection.

In conclusion, thanks to these efforts, the number of migrants in official detention centres has fallen from an estimated 20,000 in 2017 to 4,000 in March of this year. A functioning and stable government for all Libyans is crucial to addressing the many challenges the country faces. Ireland fully supports the efforts of the UN special representatives to facilitate a lasting political solution in Libya.

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