The Portuguese Navy's Mission in the Mediterranean
Since 2006, various units of the Portuguese Navy have participated in operations in the Eastern and Western Mediterranean (including operations "THEMIS" and "INDALO", which are currently underway). These operations take place under the coordination of the European agency FRONTEX, whose main objectives are to promote collaboration in reducing the ow of irregular migration towards the external borders of the European Union, to support maritime search and rescue operations, and to contribute to the timely identi cation of people in highly vulnerable situations. Ships of the "Vasco da Gama", "Bartolomeu Dias", "Viana do Castelo" and "Tejo" classes have been made available for these missions, according to the needs of the FRONTEX Agency and the requirements of each area of operations.
In support of the Naval Units in operation, the Portuguese Navy has also stationed operatives in International Coordination Centres in Rome and Madrid to act as liaison o cers between the ships, the FRONTEX Agency and the Member State where joint operations are being carried out.
Portuguese Navy
Maritime Police Mission in Greece and Italy
Since 2014, and continuously since 1st May 2017, the National Maritime Authority, through the Maritime Police, has participated in Operation POSEIDON, contributing to the fight against irregular migration to Greece and to the control and monitoring of the Greek and external maritime borders of the European Union, under the coordination of the European agency FRONTEX.
As part of an operation which began on 1st February 2020 and ends on 31st January 2021, a team of 12 members of the Maritime Police participates alongside three members of the National Maritime Authority that provide technical support on the island of Lesbos for the electronic and mechanical maintenance of the vessels and the Thermal Vision Vehicle.
The Maritime Police team also has one of its members working in the International Coordination Centre in Piraeus, Greece, acting as a liaison o cer between the team and the European agency FRONTEX.
Two Coastal Patrol Boats and one Thermal Vision Vehicle are involved in this operation.
Within the European agency FRONTEX, the Maritime Police also took part in Operation THEMIS, in Italy, for a period of four months between 21st April and 11th August 2020, in which nine elements of the Tactical Action Group participated with one high speed vessel. The aim of this operation was to support the Italian authorities in their coast guard functions, particularly in the control and surveillance of Italian and EU
external maritime borders in the ght against cross- -border crime and irregular migration.
Portuguese Maritime Authority
In addition to the missions it carries out within the national territory, such as surveillance, patrolling and interception around the Portuguese coast and territorial sea, the National Republican Guard (GNR), through its Coastal Control Unit, also contributes to the European e ort to control the external border of the European Union, where large and ongoing migratory ows from third countries have taken place in recent years. The objective of the GNR is to cooperate with the other European forces and agencies to reduce the loss of human lives at sea.
Since 2007, the GNR has participated in joint missions developed by the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex), committing maritime and land forces in support of local authorities and deploying a total of 602 o cers to date in various theatres of operations, particularly in Greece, Italy and Spain. With sta specially trained for this type of mission and respecting fundamental rights at the EU's external borders, the GNR has performed missions which have contributed to the rescue of over 5,000 migrants attempting to cross the Mediterranean in their desperation to reach European soil.
In addition to the primary task mentioned above, the GNR, along with its counterparts in Frontex, aims to prevent and combat cross-border crime such as smuggling, illegal immigration and human tra cking, which exploit situations of particular vulnerability such as those of migrants present in migration ows to the European Union.
The commitment and spirit of sacri ce of the men and women of the GNR as they complete their missions in the various theatres of operations in the Mediterranean have made a decisive contribution to the control of migratory ows, allowing them to take part in search and rescue operations, one of the key objectives of Frontex.
The participation in these actions has led to the rescue of countless men, women and children who put their lives at risk to venture across the Mediterranean in dangerously overcrowded boats with precarious safety and navigation equipment in search of better living conditions and human dignity.
Participation in these missions digni es the GNR and Portugal in the international context, revealing a GNR that is increasingly humane, compassionate and reliable.
National Republican Guard
