ADVERTISEMENT
Africanian
  • News
  • News 24/7
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Health
  • Sports
  • Travel
  • World
    • US
    • Russia
    • Europe
    • Asia
    • America
No Result
View All Result
Africanian
No Result
View All Result
Home World Europe

European Union border agency is accused of illegal pushbacks

Non-profit maritime rescue organization Sea Watch International is now leading a legal challenge to have more documents released to find out the extent of Frontex's activities in the region.

in Europe, News
Reading Time: 2 mins read
0 0
0
European Union border agency is accused of illegal pushbacks
0
SHARES
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare via Whatsapp

The European Union’s border security agency Frontex has been accused of involvement in the pushback of around 1,000 asylum seekers in the Aegean Sea, after a freedom of information request gave several European news outlets access to the organization’s own data.

Frontex is being investigated by a group including investigative journalism organization Lighthouse Reports, Germany’s Der Spiegel and Le Monde in France, over claims, which it denies, that it collaborated with Greek authorities in illegal pushbacks of asylum seekers.

A study of the agency’s own incident report database showed that many sightings of pushbacks at sea were recorded as “prevention of departure”, which according to Frontex’s own terms means that migrants have been stopped by the authorities of non-European countries, in their own waters, and returned to their point of departure.

READ MORE: Putin doesn’t respect American leadership anymore – Donald Trump

Frontex is the EU’s best-funded agency, with a budget of 758 million euros ($796 million), and part of its funding has been frozen while the claims are examined.

More

Top 5 Reasons to be Optimistic About AI Development in Africa

Top 10 Jobs AI Will Take Over in the Next Decade in Africa

Benin: Petrol Prices Soar as Nigeria Moves to End Subsidy

At the end of March, the European Parliament’s Budgetary Control Committee postponed signing off the agency’s accounts for 2020, citing claims regarding harassment, misconduct and pushbacks.

Frontex is particularly active in the seas around Greece, where so many asylum seekers attempt to enter Europe, coming across from North Africa and the Middle East in small boats.

Earlier this month, it announced that the number of migrants trying to enter the EU in the first quarter of 2022 was at its highest level since 2016.

READ MORE: Dialogues: China, Africa discuss democracy

Without factoring in refugees fleeing the conflict in Ukraine, there were more than 40,000 migrant entries into the 27-member bloc between January and March, an increase of 57 percent on the figure from 12 months earlier.

Tineke Strik, a Dutch member of the European Parliament, who is on the Frontex Scrutiny Working Group, was quoted in The Guardian newspaper as saying it should halt its operations in Greece.

“We have so many credible reports from authorities such as the (United Nations) and the European Council, which all say that pushbacks are systematic,” she said.

READ MORE: Chinese embassy in South Africa donates to flood victims

“More needs to be done, otherwise you become part of the violations and complicit-and this is the problem that Frontex is facing,” she added, while also calling for a change of leadership and the culture of the organization.

A Frontex representative said the agency “promotes the respect of fundamental rights in all its border management activities”.

It was “fully committed to uphold the highest standards of border control within our operations and our officers are bound by a code of conduct. This is the standard we bring to every one of our operations.”

Source: China Daily
africanian

africanian

Africanian, an Africa news media portal.

  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
China-Africa Relations: the continent's finest in the Middle Kingdom

China-Africa Relations: the continent’s finest in the Middle Kingdom

May 27, 2023
Sino-African Relations: Eventful Ceremony brings to a close Think Tank Forum

Sino-African Relations: Eventful Ceremony brings to a close Think Tank Forum

June 4, 2023
Promoting Gender Equality in African Technology Hubs

Promoting Gender Equality in African Technology Hubs

May 29, 2023
Top 5 Reasons to be Optimistic About AI Development in Africa

Top 5 Reasons to be Optimistic About AI Development in Africa

June 5, 2023
Top 10 Jobs AI Will Take Over in the Next Decade in Africa

Top 10 Jobs AI Will Take Over in the Next Decade in Africa

June 5, 2023
Benin: Petrol Prices Soar as Nigeria Moves to End Subsidy

Benin: Petrol Prices Soar as Nigeria Moves to End Subsidy

June 4, 2023
Africanian

Copyright © 2022 Africanian.com.

Follow Us

No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Health
  • Sports
  • Entertainment
  • Tech
  • Travel
  • World

Copyright © 2022 Africanian.com.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Log In

Sign In

Forgot password?

Don't have an account? Register

Forgot password?

Enter your account data and we will send you a link to reset your password.

Back to Login

Your password reset link appears to be invalid or expired.

Log in

Privacy Policy

Accept

Add to Collection

  • Public collection title

  • Private collection title

No Collections

Here you'll find all collections you've created before.