Defence not defiance

Defence not Defiance

International Security Providers and a potential proactive solution to the Mediterranean migrant crisis

The significant increase in the movements of migrants in the mediterranean is a stark and immediate reminder of the ongoing and 'infectious' state of instability in the Middle East and Africa.

With the alarming numbers of migrants being rescued, or dying in transit, the EU are under increasing pressure to provide resources and assistance in the midst of chaos and tragedy.  Boatloads of people risk their lives to gain access to Europe, and are reported to be coming through illegal trafficking routes out of Turkey, Libya, Western Africa and other countries with coast lines on the Med - an area traditionally known for its commercial and leisure shipping, rather than as a focus for illegal human trafficking and human rights violations.

Rescues are being made not just by naval and coast guard vessels, but by merchant vessels.  As the International Maritime Organisation, IMO, have reported, 'The current illegal migration in the Mediterranean is stretching authorities to breaking point'.

With the Italian Coast Guard and the EU Force Joint Operation Organisation 'Fronted', currently in the forefront of the current of illegal migrants / refugees, it creates concern, when it is reported by the International Press that the Icelandic Coast Guard Vessel 'Tyr', which forms part of the Fronted Force', coming under attack from a speed boat during a rescue mission and that the boat of gunmen make off with the boat now empty of refugees in the direction of Libya.

The concern is not just the strategy of human traffickers, which may illustrate 1. they are running out of boats or 2. a potential future trend to primary, a speed boat today, a larger vessel tomorrow.  But that the 'Tyr' with her 40mm Boers Cannon, various small arms and portable weapons and crew, did not take action in order to defend the refugees as well as preventing the gunmen taking their prize vessel, which can be reused to send more migrants to either the EU or their deaths.

After the meetings held by the EU last week, strategies to cope with the current flow of migrants are being developed, but the strategy of the EU for 'rescue' could be construed as having the wrong focus.  The human traffickers and migrants know that all they need to do is to continue to abandon a boat full of migrants out in the Med and the Italian / EU forces will do the rest, including bringing its passengers to the EU Mainland.  

Surely this in itself is flawed, as it will not stem the flow or migrants, but instead encourage the traffickers and increase the flow, and thus risk more deaths.

The migrant crisis, if left insufficiently addressed, has certainly the potential to turn out to be another Somalia.  An area in which terrorist organisations and organised crime can thrive, train and grow, but this time right on the door step of Europe and within target distance of international shipping lanes, both commercial and leisure.  Perhaps again leading to untimely peacekeeping intervention and its difficulties with regard to management.

In addition, growing numbers of migrants being allowed to enter the EU territory will only increase pressure on the EU countries, including the UK, to develop mechanisms and methods of dealing with the influx.  This in turn creates a security issue, with the Med being a haven for potential piracy, a route for retuning jihadists / would be terrorists to enter mainland Europe, and an unquantified number of migrants, potentially a threat in itself, to stretch further the strained infrastructure and resources of the EU.  There elements pose a real risk to the security and wellbeing of residents in the EU and especially the UK through further increased pressure on the national health service, education, social security, housing, etc.

The must be a determination to be made, with regard to the saturation point for the UK and other EU countries in terms of new numbers of people, until existing infrastructure starts to seriously be affected?

With reports of IS moving into the vacuum in Libya, the international community and NATO cannot allow them to gain a foothold in this region.  This, with the significant unquantified number of refugees and migrants wanting to enter the EU, of necessity must create a buffer zone outside EU territory in order to:

• provide a safe and secure staging location and collection point for migrants, thereby permitting time and space for effective processing.  Including the consideration of other countries including UAE, Dubai etc to assist.
• provide a central location were countries, resources, aid agencies, human rights monitors etc can focus their resources.
• provide a central location to allow migrants, if deemed appropriate, to be sent back to their country of origin or to the nearest safest country to their country of origin. 
• Once central location which can be built around a purpose built airstrip to ensure effective movement of aid and assistance, which can be controlled.
• One central location can be designed, located and secured more effectively than a number of make shift camps.  One location can be secure and maintained, as we have precedence of Camp Bastion etc for a reliable example. 

The collection point can relieve the pressure and provide breathing space in terms of handling unknown figures of migrants and thus relieve the pressure currently being experience by Italy, Malta, etc.

Rescue efforts in bringing migrants to the EU is in itself part of the problem and encourages human traffickers to continue to leave their 'customers' adrift, as they delegate the delivery of their loads to the EU and Fronted.

Whatever the EU strategy moving forward including the 10 point action plan, the mindset should be that of defence, not defiance.  We must not ignore the plight of these migrants on one hand, yet conversely - our actions can not be to the detriment of the security and defence of the EU mainland or the UK.  This situation could well be bigger that what the EU can handle, especially as their efforts very regularly are underwritten by a small number of EU countries.

To ensure our defence and not to defy human rights, where reasonably practicable, I believe that future strategies should include the employment of experienced, qualified, competent and certificated International Security Providers, or known by some as PMSCs.  These companies and their personnel have had some bad press in recent weeks, especially with the convictions of the Blackwater personnel in relation to the Nisour Square incident, but the majority of their work is very often overlooked, with little credit given for when they get it right.  They have wide field of experience, are made up of our ex-military personnel and provide a wide ranges of services based on their experience within Maritime security, Intelligence, anti piracy, emergency relief and in providing structure infrastructure and security in unstable environments around the world.

These professional companies under their new PSC 1 International Quality Standard amy be able to assist the EU in providing support of the new promised resources.  There can be little doubt that the ISPs will bring much needed experience and competence which can potentially be lacking within individual European agencies and some EU countries national forces which deploy on behalf of NATO.