Icelandic MPs Want To Extend Rescue Ship Loan To Mediterranean

Some of Iceland’s MPs want to extend the country’s loan of a ship to the rescue effort in the Mediterranean. In addition, they contend Iceland bears responsibility for some of these refugees, and want to accept more of them to our shores.

Currently, one of the ships in the Icelandic Coast Guard’s fleet, Týr (seen above), is participating in rescue operations in the Mediterranean. These operations centre around the rescue of asylum seekers attempting to sail across the sea to Europe.

Týr’s contract of involvement ends in May, and the ship is tentatively scheduled to return to Iceland at that time. However, RÚV reports, MPs for the Left-Green Party have submitted a proposal that Týr remain in the Mediterranean through the summer. This would be done at no extra cost to Frontex, the EU’s border control.

In addition, the proposal argues that Iceland should accept more asylum seekers from war-torn countries along the Mediterranean, such as Libya and Syria. Iceland bears partial responsibility for these asylum seekers, the proposal states, as Iceland supported the military incursion against Libya in 2011.