German frigate Karlsruhe leaves Mediterranean and operation Sophia

Having spent more than 2 months in the Central Mediterranean Sea as part of EUNAVFOR MED operation Sophia efforts in fighting human smugglers and traffickers and preventing the further loss of life at sea, the German frigate FGS Karlsruhe left the mission today.

Commenting on ship’s achievements, EUNAVFOR MED Force Commander stated that it has been “A tangible contribution toward the success of operation Sophia. In these months, they have shown utmost professionalism in the conduct of their duties including the rescue of 535 persons and disposal of multiple abandoned migrant vessels. Without these endeavors, many lives would have been lost and useful resources would have fallen back into the hands of smugglers to compound the human suffering experienced in this challenging environment.”

EUNAVFOR added that FGS Karlsruhe contributed to build a comprehensive understanding of human smugglers and traffickers business model and to widen the overall situational awareness.

At the moment EUNAVFOR MED operation Sophia Task Force is made up of 4 ships (1 Italian light aircraft carrier, 1 German auxiliary ship, 1 UK hydrographic ship, 1 Spanish frigate), 3 organic helicopters (2 Italian, 1 Spanish) and 4 air assets (Luxembourg, Spain, France, Portugal).