Bang in Brussels: The budget committee of the EU Parliament refuses to discharge the border protection agency Frontex. He asks the European Parliament not to approve the bill for 2020.
The reason for this are massive allegations by the EU’s own anti-fraud authority (Olaf). It has been investigating for a year and is now stating that the Frontex leadership around boss Fabrice Leggeri (54) is involved in bullying and the illegal pushing back of migrants at the EU’s external border.
Report at a critical time
What does Switzerland have to worry regarding? On May 15, we will vote on whether Switzerland should provide Frontex with more money and staff. After the migration crisis in 2015, the EU decided to increase the number of border guards to 10,000. According to the Finance Department, the Swiss contribution will increase from the current CHF 24 million to CHF 61 million in 2027.
That is what the Frontex vote is regarding
The EU wants to improve the protection of its external borders. For this purpose, the border protection agency Frontex should receive massively more funds. As a Schengen member, Switzerland is obliged to take part. From the current CHF 14 million annually, the Frontex contribution is to increase to CHF 61 million by 2027. In addition, Switzerland should make more staff available. On the other hand, left-wing circles have called for a referendum. Frontex plays a central role in the expansion of “Fortress Europe,” they say.
The EU wants to improve the protection of its external borders. For this purpose, the border protection agency Frontex should receive massively more funds. As a Schengen member, Switzerland is obliged to take part. From the current CHF 14 million annually, the Frontex contribution is to increase to CHF 61 million by 2027. In addition, Switzerland should make more staff available. On the other hand, left-wing circles have called for a referendum. Frontex plays a central role in the expansion of “Fortress Europe,” they say.
Because migrant and left circles have taken the referendum, the people have the last word. According to the first SRG survey, 63 percent want to say yes. According to political scientist Claude Longchamp (65), it might also be much tighter.
Frontex looked the other way and covered it up
At this politically sensitive moment, Frontex is making negative headlines. The border protection agency, which has to ensure that everything is done properly at the EU’s external border, is said to have not only tolerated illegal return operations, but even covered them up, according to one accusation.
For example in Greece: Its coast guard stops refugee boats at sea, destroys the engines, tows the boats back into Turkish waters and abandons the people, often including children, to their fate on the open sea. Dozens of such actions are documented, some even monitored live by Frontex Research by the German news magazine Der Spiegel recently showed.
Sometimes, according to the “Spiegel”, the border officials would even send back people seeking protection who had already reached one of the Greek islands. Human rights activists call such actions pushbacks. They are a clear violation of EU law.
Bullying once morest inspector
Frontex is actually obliged to prevent such human rights violations. Instead, Leggeri is said to have made sure that the reports were not even investigated.
Frontex made similar accusations in the case of Hungary, where the agency continued to watch even following the European Court of Justice ruled that Hungarian refugee repatriations are illegal under EU law.
The Frontex boss doesn’t seem to care regarding human rights. This is also shown by the fact that Inmaculada Arnáez, the fundamental rights officer who was assigned to him, was specifically bullied. While on sick leave, Leggeri simply advertised her job — and was also reprimanded for this by the EU Commission, which called the procedure “plain and simple illegal”..
Molina demands publication
The opponents of the Frontex increase see this as confirmation of all their fears. “This shows that there are serious problems at Frontex and that there is an urgent need for a debate on European refugee policy,” says SP National Councilor Fabian Molina (31). “The deterrent system already only works illegally – and now you want to expand it to 10,000 men?”
Molina demands that the report, which has been top secret until now – even MEPs only received an oral summary from the Olaf boss – is published. And before the vote. “So that the voters can assess the entire extent before they put so much money into Frontex.”
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The other side sees it differently. “I don’t know the report, so I can’t judge its truthfulness,” admits Andrea Gmür (57), a member of the Central Council of States. But at least it shows that the EU is investigating all allegations twice and three times, so that the control is taken very seriously.
She states: “If there have actually been pushbacks, that is absolutely unacceptable.” The Security Commission of the Council of States examined the allegations closely. Employees from Switzerland were not involved in pushbacks.” Despite everything, border protection remains important. And with the increase, a kind of control authority should also be created within Frontex “to ensure compliance with all rules”.
