"However valuable as a search and rescue mission, Operation Sophia does not, and we argue, cannot, deliver its mandate. It responds to symptoms, not causes," the House of Lords’ report said.
The lawmakers commended the operation’s success a search and rescue, calling it a "vital humanitarian obligation."
"The mission does not, however, in any meaningful way deter the flow of migrants, disrupt the smugglers’ networks, or impede the business of people smuggling on the central Mediterranean route," the report said.
Operation Sophia encompasses Italian, French, German, British and Spanish warships, including Italy’s Cavour C 550 aircraft carrier and France’s Courbet F 712 stealth frigate.
Europe has faced an enormous influx of migrants fleeing war and poverty in the Middle East and Africa. EU border agency Frontex recorded over 1.83 million illegal border crossings into the European Union in 2015.
