Finland is to send a detachment of 20 military officers to take part in EU operations in the Mediterranean.
Defence Minister Jussi Niinistö says the operation is aimed at reining in human trafficking from Libya to Europe. He told the newspaper Keskisuomalainen on Thursday that the government's foreign and security committee has tentatively approved the deployment. However it will depend on whether the Finnish Defence Forces can borrow a boat from another EU state.
The Finnish Navy does not plan to send a vessel to the Mediterranean.