Ghost ships: EPP Group denounces Turkey's lack of cooperation

This afternoon, the European Parliament discussed the recent human smuggling incidents in the Mediterranean. Speaking during the debate, EPP Group Coordinator on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs, Monika Hohlmeier, said:

"We expect more cooperation from Turkey in detecting ghost ships and in the fight against human traffickers and smugglers. Also, we need to find ways to efficiently capture and convict criminal human traffickers and smugglers. Just like we did for terrorism, we need to stem the flow of finance to human traffickers."

Deputy Coordinator, Roberta Metsola MEP,
said:

"The European Parliament has now passed two resolutions calling for action on migration in the Mediterranean in the last 18 months. The ball is now in the Governments' court. They need to act."

"The 'Ghost Ship' phenomenon is a worrying new trend by organised criminal gangs trafficking human beings across the Mediterranean. Unseaworthy vessels have been put on auto-pilot, without crews, headed on a collision course with Europe. The images that we have seen of decommissioned livestock vessels packed with vulnerable people will haunt us. The vessels are packed with many more people than we have previously seen. Without more work on a holistic approach to migration and concrete measures to effectively tackle human trafficking networks, we risk witnessing another horrific tragedy in the Mediterranean."