Norway sends civilian ships to the Mediterranean – Dagbladet.no

Norwegian shipowners can quickly decided ship if the government will use them to rescue missions in the Mediterranean.

– The government should only specify what kind of ship it wants, says NSA CEO Sturla Henriksen said.

Despite federation has offered help, there has been no contact with the government Monday or the last few days.

The government is preparing for NTB has learned, an announcement about a Norwegian maritime contribution to rescue work in the Mediterranean.

Not only border

According to NRK, has the European border agency Frontex asked Norway to contribute one Norwegian ships from 1 August. But it is too long to wait, says Henriksen.

– I hope Europe sets of resources in good time before it, for now drowning people already. And I hope the contribution is part of a European operation which will not only protect EU borders, but that it actually will operate where people drown. It is close to the Libyan coast, he said.

Henriksen envisages that Norwegian ships can help with search and rescue and to collect refugees and take them to the European mainland.

Norwegian crew already have a lot of experience with rescue operations in the Mediterranean, he points out. Since last year, Norwegian ships picked up over 5,000 people because they happened to be nearby.

Military personnel

An expanded European operation in the Mediterranean with Norwegian contribution may involve both safety and legal challenges. It may also be necessary to deploy military personnel in civilian vessels.

– In an operation where there were to be desirable or necessary, it must be clarified between the government and the company that actually makes the ship and crew at their disposal. But from the waters off Somalia, we have experience of having both civilian and military armed guards on board. So this, we should be able to handle in a good way, he said.

(NTB)