Sinn Féin’s spokesperson on Foreign Affairs and Defence, Seán Crowe TD, has stated his deep concern over the search and destroy mission that the European Council have now agreed to create.

Crowe challenged the wisdom of the EU deciding to use a military response in the face of an ongoing humanitarian crisis in the Mediterranean, and urged the Irish Government to clearly state that it won’t take part in the military mission.

Deputy Crowe said:

“We have all been shocked by the humanitarian crisis which is forcing hundreds of thousands of adults and children to try cross Mediterranean waters in overcrowded and unsafe rafts, dinghies, and boats.

“Last year 3,200 men, women and children died while trying to cross the Mediterranean and over 1,700 people have died in the first 4 months of this year alone.

“The 170,000 who made the journey safely and landed in Italy in 2014 done so because of the help and support of the Italian navy.

“Instead of increasing search and rescue missions in the Mediterranean and agreeing to increase the amount of refugees that Member States will resettle, the EU instead has created the EUNAVFOR Med mission, which attempts to use military might to solve what is essentially a social and economic humanitarian crisis.

“The EUNAVFOR mission plans to place EU warships in international and Libyan waters to supposedly attack and destroy boats which they suspect are or will be used to carry migrants across the Mediterranean Sea.

“The actions of NATO created the failed State that is now Libya and NATO countries have helped create or fuel the conflicts which many of these people are now trying to flee.

“The EU’s plan is not humane as it will mean an attack on impoverished men, women and children who are trying to flee conflict, persecution, and hunger. The EU should be assisting people in this humanitarian crisis, and not focusing on blowing up smugglers boats.

Crowe continued:

“I agree with Peter Sutherland, the UN’s special envoy on migration, who said that EUNAVFOR Med wold put even more ‘innocent refugees, including many children, in the line of fire’.

“The Government agreed last week to send the an Irish Naval ship, the LÉ Eithne, to the Mediterranean to assist the Italian navy with search and rescue missions to ensure there are no more drownings.

“The Government now needs to clarify its position and clearly state that the LÉ Eithne will not part in this EUNAVFOR Med mission and that no members of the Irish Defence Forces will take part in any aspect of that military response.

“The Irish Government should not play any part in militarily forcing vulnerable refugees back to Libya and other areas of conflict.”

ENDS