EU deployment Eunavfor Med Irini | Bundestag extends Bundeswehr participation in Mediterranean mission

The frigate “Hamburg” is involved in the Mediterranean mission as part of the EU “Med Irini” mission. Photo: dpa/Sina Schuldt Berlin. The Bundestag has extended the Bundeswehr's participation in the EU-led military mission Eunavfor Med Irini in the Mediterranean. On Thursday afternoon, MPs approved continuing the operation for one year until the end of November 2027. The military operation is intended to prevent “people smuggling” and illegal oil exports from Libya. In addition, action should be taken against the so-called Russian shadow fleet. The Bundeswehr takes on tasks such as maritime surveillance and reconnaissance. As before, it should be able to send up to 300 soldiers for this purpose.

The mission was originally tasked with enforcing a United Nations arms embargo against Libya and inspecting ships for this purpose. However, the relevant UN resolutions have now expired.

"Irini's support of the units of the eastern Libyan militia leader Haftar is intolerable and contradicts the enforcement of the UN arms embargo."

However, Eunavfor Med Irini "continues to be an integral part of the UN-led peace process for the long-term stabilization of Libya," says the Federal Government's justification for the mandate extension. At the same time, the EU is showing a “permanent presence in the Mediterranean” with the operation. Germany has been participating in the EU mission since the beginning of 2020. The expected costs for the Bundeswehr for another year are 16.6 million euros.

The sea rescue organizations Sea-Watch, SOS Humanity and Doctors Without Borders sharply criticized the Bundestag decision on Thursday evening. The federal government is supporting "Irini's realignment, which gives the so-called Libyan coast guard more weight as a partner." Units of the eastern Libyan militia leader Khalifa Haftar would also benefit more from this. This is despite the fact that the UN has repeatedly accused Libyan units of human rights violations and crimes against humanity against migrants and refugees, according to a joint press release.

Deviating from its original purpose, the mission has been "increasingly expanded into an instrument of European isolation policy" over the years, according to the organizations. This included training and supporting the so-called Libyan coast guard. They beat and threaten people in distress at sea with armed force, bring them back to Libya against their will or "throw them into the water and leave them there." It has also been proven that civilian rescue ships are increasingly being attacked with firearms.

People brought back to Libya are “exposed to torture, sexual violence, enslavement and forced labor,” explained Felix Braunsdorf from Doctors Without Borders. "Extending a mission that further strengthens such structures is highly problematic."

​Marie Michel from SOS Humanity pointed out that the UN accuses General Haftar's regime of "not only violence against refugees, but also human trafficking and smuggling weapons for the Sudan war." "Supporting his units through Irini is intolerable and contradicts the enforcement of the UN arms embargo," said Michel.

​The organizations point out that Irini ships are already sharing information about boats in distress with authorities in Mediterranean countries as well as with the EU border agency Frontex, whose role in illegal returns to Libya is currently the subject of proceedings before the General Court of the European Union. They also criticize the fact that by extending the Irini mandate, Germany reserves the right to train the so-called Libyan coast guard using Bundeswehr members. The German federal government had expressly ruled out this until 2024. nd/AFP

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