The European Commission said it “takes very seriously” press reports that Frontex, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, may have been involved in migrant pushbacks off the coast of Greece.
“We have seen the reports and they are being taken very seriously”, said Adalbert Jahnz, the spokesperson for Home Affairs. In addition, the Commission is “very concerned” about allegations concerning pushbacks and infringements of fundamental rights and the right to asylum, while Commissioner Ylva Johansson was “in immediate contact” with Fabrice Leggeri, the agency's executive director, who had himself been in contact with the Greek authorities. The Greek authorities have launched an internal investigation following these revelations, added the spokesperson.
An investigation by a number of media organisations, including the German magazine Der Spiegel, published on Saturday 24 October, claimed that Frontex was involved in several incidents of pushback at sea involving asylum-seekers’ boats crossing the Aegean Sea between Turkey and Greece. The investigations “show for the first time that Frontex officials are aware of the illegal practices of the Greek border guards - and are partly involved in the pushbacks themselves”, said Der Spiegel. Investigators documented six instances where Frontex was present but did not react to pushbacks towards Turkey of refugee boats in Greek waters. Referring to the agency's internal control mechanism, the Commission said it expected Frontex to comply fully with international law.
This is not the first time that Frontex’s role has been questioned: MEPs on the European Parliament Committee on Civil Liberties held a debate in July on the role of the Greek authorities at the end of February/in early March on the border with Turkey. Frontex was also on the ground to help Greece carry out operations that some elected representatives described as pushbacks (see EUROPE 12522/19). (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)