British warship in Mediterranean mission to disable migrant smuggling ships

A British warship has arrived in the Mediterranean with a mission to stop and disable ships being used by migrant smugglers, Defense Secretary Michael Fallon said Sunday.

The British Royal Navy frigate, HMS Richmond, will be using new powers after the adoption of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2240 that gives the warship's commanding officer the authority to conduct enforcement action on the high seas. This includes the boarding and seizing of boats suspected to be involved in migrant smuggling.

"These new powers are an important step forward. We will now be able to board the boats and detain the smugglers," Fallon said.

A liaison officer from FRONTEX, the European Union frontier's agency, will be on board HMS Richmond to advise her crew on legal issues including the identification, collection and preservation of evidence which could be used in criminal proceedings.

HMS Richmond joined the British survey vessel HMS Enterprise which will continue its activity to locate migrant smugglers operating on the high seas in support of this phase of the mission.

In 1997, HMS Richmond visited the Russian port of Vladivostok, the first British Royal Navy vessel to visit the important Russian Naval base in over 100 years. Later Richmond escorted the British Royal family's royal yacht HMY Britannia on the ship's final leg of her final tour of Britain prior to her decommissioning. Endit