Has the EU border protection agency Frontex covered up or even participated in illegal practices in dealing with migrants? Allegations in this direction have existed for a long time. Demands for consequences are now obviously being heard.
Frontex boss Fabrice Leggeri spoke to media professionals in Rezovo, Bulgaria, in September 2021.
(dpa)
The head of the European border protection agency Frontex has made his post available after serious allegations against him and employees. The background to the decision of the Frenchman Fabrice Leggeri is in particular investigations into the illegal refusal of migrants in the Mediterranean. According to initial investigations, managers at the Warsaw-based agency Frontex are said to have deliberately covered up the fact that Greek border guards were bringing refugees back to the open Mediterranean Sea. Rejections of people seeking protection at the external borders – so-called pushbacks – are illegal under international law.
Leggeri’s offer to resign was confirmed on Friday by a spokesman for the German Ministry of the Interior in Berlin. According to the spokesman, the German government welcomed the step of the 54-year-old. This gives the opportunity for a fresh start at Frontex, to fully investigate allegations and to ensure that all agency operations are carried out in full compliance with European law, he said.
The request for resignation should be accepted
Germany has a seat on the Frontex board of directors. In a special session on Friday, the latter dealt with Leggeri’s offer to resign. A spokeswoman for the EU Commission said in Brussels that the result of the deliberations should be announced in the course of the afternoon. It was considered certain that the Frenchman’s resignation would be accepted.
Frontex was founded by the EU in 2004 and expanded to become the European Border and Coast Guard Agency after the refugee crisis that began in 2015. The actual border protection is still the responsibility of the member states, but the agency should ensure joint management of the external borders and effectively support national border protection units if necessary.
Instead of visible progress, however, there has recently been criticism of the work of Frontex units. In particular, this involves possible illegal refusals of people seeking protection at the EU’s external borders. According to various media reports, Greek border guards have illegally driven boats with migrants back towards Turkey on several occasions. Frontex officials are said to have been nearby and not prevented this. Several EU bodies recently dealt with the allegations.
Alleged intentional concealment of pushbacks
Leggeri, who took office in 2015, has repeatedly rejected criticism of Frontex’s actions. Last year he told the “Welt” on the subject: “As far as Greece is concerned, I would not just speak of “pushbacks”. There are situations in the sea between Turkey and Greece that are not distress situations because the boats are not out of control. “They are trying to evade border controls and are believed to be used for criminal activities,” said the Frenchman. Then the legal framework for the interception of boats applies.
Pressure on Leggeri was mainly exerted by investigations by the EU anti-fraud authority Olaf, which, according to information from the German Press Agency, came to the conclusion that the illegal refusal of migrants in the Mediterranean was deliberately concealed by several executives. According to a report by “Spiegel”, 20 witnesses were questioned during the investigation and, among other things, the office of Frontex boss Fabrice Leggeri was searched.