“COMMAND TEAM” ISSUES IN MARITIME INTERDICTION OPERATIONS IN SUPPORT OF INTERNATIONAL EFFORTS TO MANAGE THE MIGRANT AND REFUGEE CRISIS AT SEA

The world is facing an escalating migration crisis, with unprecedented waves of people (almost a million in 2016) fleeing to Europe. These waves consist of both refugees forced to flee to save their lives or preserve their freedom, as well as economic migrants, moving in order to improve their lives. Since people composing these mixed flows are unable to enter a particular state legally, they often employ the services of human smugglers and embark on very unseaworthy vessels and in dangerous seas. Naval forces play an expanding role in countering this phenomenon alongside law enforcement agencies. As a result, NMIOTC has recognized that there is a need to train naval personnel in order to acquire the necessary knowledge to manage migrant and refugee related incidents at sea.