#Navy - Refugees rescued by Irish Naval Service vessels involved in humanitarian operations fell in numbers from 7,029 in 2016 to 1,888 last year, after a change in policy to focus on security operations targeting smugglers and a drop in the number of people attempting to cross the Mediterranean sea.

As The Irish Times writes, in July 2017, the Government received approval to join the EU’s Operation Sophia, as part of the EUnavforMed (EU Naval Force in the Mediterranean). Previously the Irish navy’s search and rescue work at sea was carried out as part of a bilateral agreement with Italy called Operation Pontus.

Up to July, 1,187 people trying to cross the Mediterranean were rescued by the Irish navy vessel LÉ Eithne, according to figures on Operation Pontus from the Department of Defence, with 701 rescued over the second half of the year.

To read more click here.