Dokumentation
Recent human smuggling incidents in the Mediterranean
Strasbourg, 13 January 2015
Dimitris Avramopoulos, Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship
European Parliament Plenary Debate
I am standing here before you today because the European Commission is determined to take action. We all heard on what happened over Christmas and New Year. The lives of around 1,200 migrants, mostly Syrians, were saved when the Italian Coast Guard and Frontex, in the framework of Joint Operation Triton, rescued two cargo vessels: the Ezadeen and the Blue Sky M. These are just two examples of the more than 12 cargo ships that arrived in Europe since September. Of course, many more people have risked their lives coming in numerous small boats or difficult journeys via land borders.