UN weighs resolution backing military action against migrant smugglers

Britain has presented a UN draft resolution that would allow European forces to seize ships in international waters off Libya's coast as part of a crackdown on migrant smugglers, diplomats said Wednesday.

The measure could come up for a vote next week at the Security Council a few days before world leaders arrive for the annual UN gathering that will see calls for action to address Europe's migrant crisis.

The draft text obtained by AFP allows European naval forces to board ships for inspection, seize them and even dispose of the vessels suspected of being used by migrant smugglers.

Europe hopes that smashing the refugee-trafficking networks will help save lives and deter asylum-seekers from making the perilous trip across the Mediterranean.

More than 350,000 people have risked their lives crossing the Mediterranean this year, according to the International Organization for Migration, with nearly 3,000 losing their lives.

The text circulated to the 15 council members on Tuesday would authorize action on the high seas for a period of one year and would be limited to international waters off Libya's coast.

The European Union on Monday approved plans for military action against smugglers in the Mediterranean, scaling up an operation that began in July with a search and rescue phase.

In response to concerns raised by Russia, the draft resolution has not been drafted under chapter 7 of the UN charter, which allows for the use of force.

- Precise language -

"We made the language extremely focused in this text and made clear the exact circumstances of the use of force," said a Security Council diplomat who asked not to be named.

The text calls upon member-states to inspect any unflagged ship, "including inflatable boats, rafts and dinghies," and allows inspection of flagged vessels with the consent of the flag state.
The UN resolution would help Britain, Germany and other European nations whose navies operate in the Mediterranean under national legislations that do not authorize military action in international waters.

The EU's NavFor Med force currently comprises four ships -- one Italian, one British and two German -- and it will likely need several more vessels for the mission to patrol the Mediterranean.

The Security Council had initially hoped to adopt a resolution authorizing action on the high seas and in Libyan territorial waters.

But that measure hit a wall when Libya's authorities declined to give the green light because the internationally-recognized government does not control the coastal territory.

Europe's migration crisis is expected to loom large over this year's gathering of world leaders at the United Nations.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has organized a meeting on migration on the sidelines of the General Assembly on September 30.

Source: AFP