Combating human trafficking

EU Launches Anti-Smuggling Ops in the Med

The European Union has launched a naval operation against people-smugglers in the Mediterranean as part of the ongoing international effort to tackle the flow of migrants from Africa.

EU foreign ministers agreed to the new defense force at a ministerial meeting in Luxembourg on Monday.

Federica Mogherini, foreign policy chief for the bloc, said the aim of the mission would be to "identify, capture and destroy vessels" before they are used by human traffickers to bring migrants across the Mediterranean Sea.