In December, Frontex, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, provided training for 62 Libyan Coast Guard and Navy officers aboard San Giorgio, a vessel taking part in the EU Naval Force Operation Sophia.

With the training program, Frontex is contributing to increasing the border control capacities of the Libyan Coast Guard and Navy. Frontex is training the Libyan officers on law enforcement at sea. The topics covered by nine Frontex trainers include preparing and planning of law enforcement operations and combating of smuggling and trafficking of human beings. It also covers the protection of human rights in all coast guard activities.

In the first 11 months of 2016, nearly 173,000 migrants crossed the Central Mediterranean and arrived in Italy, 20 percent more than a year ago. Most of them departed from Libya.