Migrant Rescuing as Organized Hypocrisy. EU Maritime Missions Offshore Libya between Humanitarianism and Border Control
Eugenio Cusumano
Leiden University, Netherlands
Abstract
In November 2014, Frontex started its Southern Mediterranean border monitoring operation Triton, followed in June 2015 by the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) anti-smuggling mission EUNAVFOR Med ‘Sophia’. Both operations’ outward communication has placed considerable emphasis on the conduct of maritime Search and Rescue (SAR). Still, this commitment was not matched by consistent action. Both Triton and EUNAVFOR have conducted a relatively limited number of SAR operations, prioritizing border control and anti-smuggling tasks. This article explains the gap between EU missions’ humanitarian rhetoric and an operational conduct primarily focusing on curbing irregular migrations as a form of organized hypocrisy. Decoupling talk and action allowed Triton and EUNAVFOR to reconcile the conflicting expectations arising from European governments’ willingness to reduce migrant arrivals and the normative imperative to act against the loss of life at sea. However, EU mission’s organized hypocrisy had several negative externalities, hindering an effective management of the humanitarian crisis offshore Libya.