The European border protection Agency Frontex is accused of tolerating human rights violations and eyes from excessive use of force to be closed. This is the ARD magazine “Report München”, the British newspaper “The Guardian” as well as the research site Correctiv citing internal documents of Frontex, the reports submitted by the Commissioner for fundamental rights.

One of these to the Board of Directors of the border Agency, addressed to “deficiency reports” describes operations at the Hungarian-Serbian border. Accordingly, the Hungarian police have discovered ten of the refugees, who are between 10 and 17 years old, in the border area and a police dog on you in a hurry. Three refugees had been bitten, pepper spray and batons had been used to urge the young men to return to Serbia.

Sofia rejects allegations

As in many other places, Frontex is cooperating with the Hungarian border police and informed them about the case. The complaint was not pursued. Other cases, with terms such as “excessive use of violence”, “Beating with a wire,” or “ill-treatment of refugees” described, should be out in Hungary, in Bulgaria and Greece occurred. Internal rules of Frontex and human rights standards are regularly flouted, according to a report from March of this year. So minors would be deported without the accompaniment of adults, and often handcuffs are used. “The shackles were not used in the way that it is necessary and proportionate,” writes the fundamental rights officer, which has only nine employees and the Budget for 2017 was still lower than the Frontex expenditure for postage; in the meantime, more money is available.

Three fugitives had been bitten by dogs, pepper spray and batons had been used to urge the young men to return to Serbia.

A spokeswoman for the European Commission said on Monday, you know the reports of ill-treatment at the borders, and take the allegations very seriously. Any Form of violence against refugees and migrants is unacceptable, which is why the authority now with the Warsaw-based Agency Frontex will verify whether the allegations are true.

The Bulgarian interior Minister Mladen Marinov rejects the accusations: “I can categorically declare that Bulgaria complies with all the agreements and arrangements to the human rights .” Bulgarian border control officers would only apply physical violence if they were themselves attacked.

tenacity of activists allows inspection of files

The Commission spokeswoman stressed that Frontex, the member States and their border officials are only “support” and this, of course, for the compliance with EU law and in international conventions, enshrined the protection for refugees is responsible.

migration experts and human rights activists have warned for some time before the legal problems associated with the Expansion of the EU border protection. Pro ASYL deficiency speaks of a “basic Control”. Again and again it come to violence in the case of interventions to the limits, but remain open-minded, “who bears the legal responsibility”.

Von der Leyen wants to increase Frontex until 2027 from 1500 to 10’000 officers, but to 2024.

Frontex was not until the beginning of the refugee crisis is a rather small Agency of the EU, which coordinated the actions of the member States at the external borders. By the end of 2016, has been expanded with significantly extended competences to the European border guard and coast guard Agency; in September 2018, a proposal from the EU Commission for a further Expansion followed at the Insistence of the member States. So the ever-ready standing force is to be increased from 1500 to 10’000 border guards. Originally this was provided already by 2020. The member States want the 2027, the designated President of the Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, is aiming to 2024. Also, the Budget is set to rise sharply in the next two years by more than 500 percent.

insight in a total of 600 “deficiency reports” the fundamental rights officer, Frontex received the media thanks to the tenacity of the activists Arne Semsrott and Luisa Izuzquiza. Both have been campaigning for years for more transparency from authorities at national and European level. Izuzquiza is working at the Madrid Organisation, Access Info, Semsrott is a project Manager at “Ask the state” in Berlin. He wanted to figure out 2017, how many ships Frontex in the Mediterranean is used, and at which locations they are in. It’s about the Dgzrs, widespread suspicion, Frontex avoid aware of those areas where refugee boats capsize often.

No response from Frontex

However, responses from the Warsaw Frontex Headquarters, the activists don’t get. The regulation allows the EU Authorities-namely, the refuse disclosure of documents if this endangers the “public safety” – and the border Agency is relying.

The resist Semsrott and Izuzquiza speak: The authority have a Public accountability. So they have sued Frontex before the European court of justice (ECJ) in Luxembourg, in July, the hearing was held. “We want to clarify by principle of judgment, how much transparency should provide Frontex,” says Semsrott. A fast growing EU Agency, whose work on human rights is concerned, must be of deputies and of the civil society control, the 31-Year-old. The ECJ will judge in a few months.

Created: 05.08.2019, 19:13 PM