The Spanish frigate Navarra ends her deployment in EUNAVFOR MED SOPHIA, handing over to ESPS Canarias
After 4 months in the EU counter human smuggling operation, the Spanish frigate Navarra returns back home.
Deployed in the Southern Central Mediterranean Sea in operation SOPHIA, the crewmembers of the Spanish frigate Navarra set sail back to Spain, after handing over in the Sicilian port of Augusta her duties to the Spanish frigate Canarias.
During her participation in EUNAVFOR MED operation SOPHIA the Spanish warship has carried out many kind of activities, among them several approaches to ships that were sailing in the area of operation, the disposal of boats used by human smugglers and rescue operations.
Now ESPS Canarias will be in the EU task force until June, to continue the Spanish contribution in EUNAVFOR MED. At present, the Spanish warship is sailing towards her Naval Base of Rota where the relatives of the members of the crew are awaiting the arrival of their loved ones.
ESPS Navarra will arrive in Spain in few days.
Thus far, following EUNAVFOR MED operation Sophia’s activities, 101-suspected smugglers and traffickers have been prosecuted by the Italian authorities and 375 boats were removed from the criminal organization availability. Nonetheless, as the EU contribution to the UN arms embargo, the operation carried on 347 events in accordance with the UNSCR 2292 (2016).