Brussels, 24/11/2015 (Agence Europe) - MEPs on the European Parliament's civil liberties committee adopted a resolution on Monday 23 November calling on Frontex, the European agency for the management of cooperation at external borders, to set up a “mechanism to process individual complaints about alleged breaches of the fundamental rights of migrants and asylum seekers”, says a committee press release. The Committee wants the European Commission to include provisions for this mechanism in a review of the Frontex regulation, due in December, which will provide the framework for new proposals on the European border guards.
The draft resolution, adopted by 62 votes to 11, with 6 abstentions, supports a European Ombudsman recommendation dating from 2012. The mechanism should make it possible for complaints to be made against border guards wearing the Frontex emblem and the recommendation is that all persons acting under the Frontex emblem should wear a visible name or identification number on their uniforms. “All persons who feel harmed by border guards wearing the Frontex emblem should have the right to submit a complaint”, the committee says. Third parties should also be able to submit complaints on behalf of bona fide complainants but, to prevent misuse of the complaints mechanism, MEPs recommend that anonymous complaints should not be accepted.
They also call for additional resources to be allocated to ensure that the Frontex Fundamental Rights Office is adequately equipped and staffed to handle complaints. They stress, too, the need for special protection of unaccompanied minors, women victims of gender-based persecution, LGBTI persons and other vulnerable groups. The plenary session vote will take place in Brussels on 2 December.
In 2011, reform of Frontex was approved, with a consultative forum being set up and a fundamental rights officer appointed within the agency. The Council refused, however, to adopt monitoring and observation mechanisms. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)