Slovakia Wants to Dispatch Military Police Officers to Mediterranean Sea

Bratislava, February 21 (TASR) – Slovak military police officers should serve as part of the EUNAVFOR MED Sophia naval operation in the Mediterranean Sea as of August, according to a proposal for deploying Slovak Army members that is currently undergoing an interdepartmental review.

Slovakia plans to dispatch to that area up to ten military police officers who will serve in two rotations lasting for six months.

The Slovak military police will operate from a German ship. They will be tasked with inspecting vessels in the Mediterranean Sea. The training of military police officers is underway in Germany, the Slovak Military announced on its website, adding that military officers will undergo a nine-week preparation course in the Eckenford training camp. They are being trained to fight in a built-up area and are becoming familiar with international law provisions, for example, how to enter a foreign vessel in international waters.

In 2015, the EU launched in the Mediterranean Sea the operation codenamed Sophia, which is aimed at patrolling international waters close to the Libyan coast and apprehending all individuals suspected of smuggling migrants to Europe.