The fleet lowers smugglers' costs, as it all but eliminates the need to procure seaworthy vessels capable making a full voyage across the Mediterranean to the European coastline. Traffickers are also able to operate with much less risk of arrest by European law enforcement officers. Frontex specifically noted that traffickers have intentionally sought to alter their strategy, sending their vessels to ships run by the NGO fleet rather than the Italian and EU military. The chief prosecutor also noted that Italy is investigating Islamic radicalization occurring in prisons and camps where immigrants are hired off the books. In addition to acting as de facto accomplices of human traffickers, the NGO's criticized by Frontex may also be contributing to the worsening terror situation in Europe though their actions.

Source: The North Africa Journal March 27, 2017 23:15 UTC