Defence Forces ‘ready to deploy’ in Mediterranean

Defence Minister Simon Coveney has said the Defence Forces are ready to deploy in the Mediterranean to help with the growing migrant crisis. He has likened the predicament of today’s migrants to those who travelled in the coffin ships that left this country during the The Famine.

Thu, 23 Apr, 2015 - 01:00

Sean O’Riordan

He believes Ireland should get involved in helping to prevent more tragedy on the sea corridor between north Africa and southern Europe. Plans had been drawn up to send a Naval Service ship to the Horn of Africa to aid EU anti-piracy patrols, especially off Somalia.

However, in light of the recent drowning of up to 900 people off the coast of Libya, Mr Coveney said the Government could reprioritise its anti-piracy mission and instead send a navy ship to help in a Mediterranean humanitarian mission.

The defence minister said he had informed Taoiseach Enda Kenny that the Defence Forces was ready to play a support role in any EU mission in the region.

The number of people attempting to flee war and poverty in the Middle East and Africa, particularly Eritreans and Syrians, has spiked in recent months, leading to huge numbers of people drowning in unseaworthy vessels. The International Organisation for Migration estimates 1,750 people have drowned in the Mediterranean this year, which is 30 times higher than the same period in 2014.

It’s believed 170,000 illegal emigrants successfully gained access into Italy, Malta and Greece last year.

Mr Coveney has gifted the LÉ Aoife to the Maltese navy to help prevent further drownings, but believes Ireland should also do its share. He said Minister for Foreign Affairs Charlie Flanagan and Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald were also working to see what input this country could have in a mission.