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German Naval Vessels Rescue Refugees

June 10, 2016

An EU naval mission, "Operation Sophia," is aimed at cracking down on people smugglers. But the ships that take part also rescue refugees on the high seas -- more than 12,000 so far.

https://p.dw.com/p/1J4bZ
Mittelmeer Flüchtlinge Rettungsaktion
Image: Reuters/Marina Militare

German naval vessels rescue refugees

One of the ways that the EU is dealing with the refugee crisis is to launch a naval mission, called "Operation Sophia." Its primary mission is to track down people-smugglers, and destroy their boats. But the ships that take part in the mission also rescue a lot of refugees on the high seas -- 12,000 since early 2015, in fact. 14 states are taking part in the operation. Germany has sent a corvette and a supply ship. Our reporter meets an officer cadet who's serving on board the supply ship, the "Frankfurt am Main," and shows us how the crew are dealing with their new mission.