The European Union is considering launching a humanitarian military mission in Libya, a senior EU diplomat said Thursday, DPA reported.
"We are making our contingency plans, and our contingency plans are for different scenarios, and this is one of the possibilities," the diplomat said.
The source - indicating he was quoting estimates by the International Organization for Migration and the United Nations - said that between 5,000 and 8,000 people were fleeing Libya and heading for Tunisia, while "a smaller number" were seeking refuge in Egypt.
The diplomat said hardly any had tried to cross the Mediterranean towards the EU "so far."