Refugees and the Mediterranean Sea: NATO-EU actions
Javier Garrido
Syrian refugees rescued on the high seas. SOURCE: El Confidencial Digital
The destabilization provoked by the Arab Spring and especially manifested in recent
years by the civil war in Libya and the war in Syria has generated a massive wave of
refugees fleeing the war in search of a better future. These refugees are joined by
immigrants from other parts of Africa or others in the Third World, which exacerbates
the problem.
According to the latest data from UNHCR, of the 65.3 million displaced people in the
world, 21.3 would be refugees. Of these, 4.8 million would be displaced population of
Syria. For many of them, the EU seems to be their only hope of finding a better life. In
the case of refugees from North Africa there are no specific figures.
The central route of the Mediterranean is used by immigrants from the Horn of Africa,
Tunisia and Libya. Its aim is to reach the coast of Sicily and the island of Lampedusa, as
well as Malta. This route has been increasing in number of people who cross it since the
Libyan war of 2011. The evolution of the arrival of refugees goes in parallel to the
decrease of the western routes.
Following the "closure" of the Western Balkan route and the European Union-Turke y
declaration in March 2016, the number of arrivals to Greece by the Eastern Mediterranean
route declined sharply. The central route of the Mediterranean, from North Africa to Italy,
has become the main point of entry to Europe. It is estimated that about 181,436 people
arrived in Italy in 2016, of which 90% did so by boat from Libya.
Departures from Turkey via the eastern route of the Mediterranean have been mainta ined
although their number has decreased considerably (from 856,723 people in 2015 to
173,450 people in 2016 according to UNHCR) by the EU-Turkey agreement and the
blockade of immigrants in the Balkans. Despite everything, many of them continue to
cross towards Greece. The 87% of those who arrived in Greece by sea came from the ten
countries that more refugees generate.
Most Refugees who choose to reach the "European Paradise" across the Mediterranean
know how reckless and dangerous that trip could be. The fatal conclusión might be their
own deaths. Due to the introduction of greater border restrictions, many people have been
placed in the hands of traffickers or mafias, which has meant that greater risks have been
taken. In 2016, 5096 people lost their lives or disappeared in the Mediterranean Sea. In
2015, the data was fewer, 3771.
For years, the EU and NATO have been implementing a reinforcement of their external
borders, where the Mediterranean remains a priority. However, the successive shipwrecks
are the clear demonstration that the reinforcement of borders serves to contain the
migratory flows, but it does not manage to stop them. Multilateral initiatives such as the
Euro-African Conference on Migration and Development, or the African Union Strategy,
have proved unsuccessful.
Because of that, the council of europe approved in 2015 the launching of a militar y
operation to interrupt and avoid the business model that allows both smuggling and
human trafficking in the southern part of the Central Mediterranean. The operation,
known as “EUNAVFOR MED SOPHIA”, was launched on 22 June 2015. It is one of the
EU's measures aimed at ending the humanitarian tragedy that is taking place in the
Mediterranean. It is also intended to contribute to the fight against instability in the region
to increase common security. Meanwhile, the EU is working too to achieve a common
political consensus to address the issue of refugees in the part of the Balkans.
In the other side is the labour of NATO and the Frontex Agency, whose contributions are
based on surveillance, search and rescue, technical support and human resources.
FRONTEX has two especial operations, “Triton” and “Poseidon”. In the specific case of
NATO, the operation called “sea guardian” it is involved in efforts to combat human
trafficking networks and illegal immigration, as well as the fighting against terrorism in
sea environment.