German navy to withdraw from EU anti-human smuggling op

By Ayhan Simsek

BERLIN

Germany is planning to suspend its participation in the EU’s anti-smuggling mission over growing differences between the EU and Italy, local media reported on Wednesday.

Military inspector general Eberhard Zorn informed the country's parliament that the navy would no longer deploy ships in the Mediterranean Sea as part of Operation Sophia as of next month, reported German daily Suddeutsche Zeitung.

Italy, which hosts the operation’s headquarters, threatened last year to leave the mission due to the reluctance of other EU members to share the burden of refugee arrivals.

The Italian government insisted on the rotation of the ports where migrants rescued at sea would disembark to include the ports of other EU member states.

Last December, the EU extended the mandate of Operation Sophia until March 31.

The operation was launched by EU countries in 2015 in a bid to disrupt human-smuggling networks operating in Libya and across Africa.