Immigration security

EU naval operation fails to stop Mediterranean migrant traffickers - French MPs

The European operations is supposed to fight people-trafficking networks that operate in Libya and on the Mediterranean coast and has been responsible for saving more than 32,000 people off the coast of Libya.

"It does a wonderful job on its humanitarian mission. And it's fortunate it is there," French MP Eric Ciot, one of the authors of the report, told RFI.

But he says that saving people is not the operation's primary mission. It was created to go after the smugglers and traffickers who get the migrants into the water in the first place. And that is what has been a failure.

Only about 100 people have been arrested and handed over to the Italian authorities.

"Investing 12 million euros to arrest 100 people is a real problem," said Ciot.