Lords hear from migration and maritime specialists for inquiry into tackling people smuggling in the Med
On Thursday 10 March the House of Lords EU Committee will take evidence from an expert in maritime strategy, as well as the Guardian's migration correspondent, as part of its investigation into the EU's naval mission in the Mediterranean.
Mr Peter Roberts is Senior Research Fellow in Sea Power and Maritime Studies at the Royal United Services Institute, and has served on several NATO working groups. Mr Patrick Kingsley is Migration Correspondent for the Guardian, and is currently writing a book on the European refugee crisis.
Both will give evidence to the House of Lords EU External Affairs Sub-Committee, which is holding a short inquiry into Operation Sophia, and how effective it is in disrupting the business model of smugglers in the Southern Central Mediterranean.
At 10.05am the Committee will put a series of questions to the witness which could include:
- How does the business model of smuggling operate, in Libya in particular?
- Who are the smugglers and traffickers and what is the scale of profits involved?
- What can you tell us about the flow of money in this business?
- How has the smuggling trade evolved?
- Is Operation Sophia contributing to the disruption of the business model?
- Does it have the necessary vessels and resources—including those to cover the Libyan coastline in due course?
- How should the EU manage the question of repatriation?
The evidence session will take place at 10.05am, on Thursday 10 March, in Committee Room 1 of the House of Lords.
