Libyan Navy and Coast Guard personnel started a new phase of training, dubbed “Package 2”, with the Italian Navy in La Maddalena, Italy, on October 8.
The training is conducted as part of the EU-led Mediterranean Sea migrant-response operation Sophia. A total of 69 personnel will be trained in this phase.
Hosted by the Italian Navy, the course will last 8 weeks and will provide knowledge and training in relation to the general activity on board an offshore patrol vessel and lessons focused on human rights, basic first aid, gender policy and basic English language.
The end of the course is scheduled for November 30 when a threshold of 305 Libyan Coastguard and Navy personnel trained by EUNAVFOR Med will have been reached.
Moreover, further training modules are planned in Croatia and other EU member states in favor of a greater number of trainees.
The objective of the training is to increase the security of Libyan territorial waters, implementing the capacities of the Libyan Coastguard and Navy to perform their duties, thus enhancing the capacity in basics of maritime security skills, including search and rescue activities to save lives and to disrupt smuggling and trafficking from/to Libyan shores.