01/02/2018 (Agence Europe) – On 1 February, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, (formerly Frontex), launched a new operation aimed at rescuing migrants in the Mediterranean and at suppressing the activities of smugglers. This new operation, Themis, replaces operation Triton which has helped Italy since 2014. Themis' area of operation will be the Central Mediterranean and it will cover the maritime routes used by migrants coming from Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Turkey and Albania, according to Fabrice Leggeri, the executive director of Frontex, as quoted in a press release. "Operation Themis will better reflect the changing patterns of migration, as well as cross-border crime. Frontex will also assist Italy in tracking down criminal activities, such as drug smuggling across the Adriatic,” he said. In 2016, the agency assisted in the rescue of 38,000 people off the coasts of Italy, Greece and Spain, according to its press release. (SP)