​The frigate 'Canarias' has now rescued more than 3,000 people off the coast of Libya

Following the alert from the Rescue Coordination Centre in Rome of two possible vessels sailing north in an area without the presence of other boats, the Spanish vessel activated the protocol for mass rescues and proceeded to rescue the migrants. 282 people were rescued in total, among them 18 children (all under the age of 10 and of Eritrean nationality), 61 women and 203 men from different African and Asian countries.

Once the rescue was completed, the migrants were transferred to a British vessel, which also forms part of the European force in the Mediterranean on Operation Sophia. A total of 3,035 migrants have now been rescued following this mission and three people smugglers have been put in the hands of the Italian judicial authorities, in the more than three months that the Spanish frigate has been deployed on the mission.

Operation Sophia

EUNAVFORMED Operation Sophia is a multi-national mission headed up by the EU, following a decision adopted by the Council of the EU on 18 May 2015, which contributes to preventing the loss of life in the Mediterranean.

The mission of the 'Canarias' is to frustrate the network of smugglers illegally trafficking people that operate in the Central Mediterranean, by intercepting the vessels carrying these migrants.