Norway sends sencond vessel for Mediterranean patrol, rescue

Norway said Wednesday that it will send another vessel to participate in European Union-led patrol and rescue operations in the Mediterranean to alleviate deteriorating migration crisis in the region.

By offering a vessel to Operation Poseidon Sea outside Greece, Norway will help the Greek government with additional resources for saving lives at sea and ensuring security in Europe, Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg said in a press release.

The Norwegian government is finalizing the specifics of its latest participation in joint rescue operations in the Mediterranean led by Frontex, the European Union's border security agency.

Last month, Norway sent a vessel named Siem Pilot and personnel to participate in Joint Operation Triton, a Frontex operation to patrol the borders and help save lives close to the Italian coast in the Mediterranean.

According to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), a record 219,000 people crossed the Mediterranean in 2014 in smugglers' boats and 3,500 died, and around half of these people were refugees fleeing war and persecution.

UNHCR said last week that as of June 8, a total of 103,000 refugees and migrants had crossed the Mediterranean since the beginning of 2015 to reach Europe, among them 54,000 in Italy and 48,000 in Greece.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has recently estimated that more than 1,800 migrants have lost their lives in the Mediterranean so far this year. Enditem