To monitor migratory flows, the SatCen called to the rescue
(B2) The EU Satellite Center (SatCen) is particularly involved in monitoring migration flows, mainly at the request of Operation Sophia and Frontex (1).
An emergency intervention
The SatCen is notably called urgently when other sources warn of a possible crossing of a group of migrants. It is then up to the analysts to provide visual confirmation. To do this, they rely on long-term monitoring, carried out every day, which allows them to identify "normal" movements and distinguish them from the more exceptional mass departures. " It is very difficult to predict an event such as a mass departure without knowing the habits of the region. You have to know what is normal in the area so that when you observe something out of that normality, you can trigger an alarm. ” underlines an analyst.
Regular monitoring
For each area involved in the migration crisis, depending on whether the situation is more or less tense, SatCen reports can thus be monthly or weekly. " There are areas where requests for images – and therefore our reports – have been and are daily “, he explains. This screening methods of certain areas is carried out in particular for the departure points of migrants to cross the Mediterranean, which are well known today. This makes it possible to make a regular count of the boats present. " If one day, the satellite images show 14 inflatable rafts instead of the 20 counted the old one, the conclusion is that there are six that have gone to sea ". Each inflatable raft can carry between 100 and 150 people. With this calculation in hand, the analysts immediately warn Frontex or Sophia HQ, which then initiates their protocols.
(Leonor Hubaut)
(1) Eastern Member States have also used the services of SatCen to monitor the Balkan route.
For further :
- our profile: The European Union Satellite Center (Satcen)
- Articles to follow
- To see the website of SatCen