The United Nations (UN) has extended for another year the authority for member states or regional organizations to inspect ships that raise suspicion of migrant or human smuggling in the high seas of Libya.
The mandate was extended by the decision adopted by the 15-member UN Security Council (UNSC) with 14 “yes” and 1 “abstention” vote.
Russia abstained from voting for the decision written by France and Malta.
The authorization decision, which was extended by the UNSC for another year, allows ships to be inspected by member states or regional organizations in cases that raise reasonable suspicion of migrant or human smuggling on the Libyan high seas.
The first decision on this issue was taken on October 9, 2015. In his latest reports on human and migrant smuggling, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stated that there was a 51 percent increase in the number of migrants crossing from the Mediterranean to Europe compared to the previous period.
The UN had assessed that activities such as smuggling, forced labor and immigrant smuggling had turned into a “business model” in Libya.
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