The protection of the external borders of the EU will not stop Migration, warn experts. Frontex Director Fabrice Leggeri calls for legal channels to apply for asylum, without falling into the hands of human traffickers.
Deutsche Welle: The Libyan coast guard has extended the security zone in front of its coast is significantly and aid organizations warned that in these waters to penetrate. Frontex rescues the refugees, when their inflatable boats to go under?
Fabrice Leggeri: Frontex supports countries under a strong migration pressure. In Italy Frontex currently 13 vessels, three helicopters, two planes and 450 border security officials. We support the Italian authorities in the Surveillance of the external borders, in search and rescue, as well as in the identification and registration of migrants at several collection points in Sicily. We also help in finding the Smugglers ‘ networks in the countries of origin and transit. We are able to adapt to the requirements of the Italian authorities, and on vulnerable groups like asylum seekers received.
Frontex Chief Fabrice Leggeri
Search and rescue is the duty of all, on the high seas. Frontex takes this task very seriously. In the past year alone, the use of Frontex to the rescue of 90,000 people in Italy and Greece, has contributed. However, the Monitoring of the limits is not a panacea. Only a global solution can manage the flow of refugees.
Humanitarian workers should be strengthened in crisis and war zones such as Yemen, Uganda or the South Sudan work, and less in the Mediterranean sea?
Once again: The rescue of people in distress at sea is a legal obligation and the rule of all the sea traffic of the ships. There is no doubt that smugglers are exploiting the tragedy of refugees and migrants and their desperation to financially benefit hugely. 2015 you have earned with your dirty business is estimated to be between four and six billion euros. The situation is tense at all external borders of the EU, not only in Italy but also in Spain and Greece.
Even if the smugglers in Morocco, Algeria, Libya, Egypt and Turkey are not closed to an organization, but they have one thing in common: they don’t care about the safety of the migrants. You put 150 people in a boat that is only designed for about ten people, and this even in poor weather conditions. Often the boats capsize, shortly after you leave the coast of these countries, which leads to terrible tragedies.
A solution for this situation needs to consist of several elements, not just one: First, the causes for the Migration must be eliminated, i.e. war, conflict, poverty and Hunger.
And finally, it must also be legal ways in which refugees can request asylum, without putting themselves in the hands of human traffickers. We all know that with these objectives, major challenges are connected. Frontex has contributed to the fact that 600 persons were arrested, of which human trafficking is accused of. We will continue to fight these criminal activities.
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Aid organisations in Italy under pressure
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Aid organisations in Italy under pressure
In the case of the Surveillance of European external borders, Frontex does not have to cooperate with governments that share the same values. Where is the limit for such cooperation?
The cooperation with countries outside the EU, is an integral part of the work of Frontex. We have agreements with a total of 18 countries. The main goal is to share the experience of successful projects, as well as to train security forces with border security and respect of fundamental human rights.
We focus on what you can improve. Our goal is the cooperation with the EU neighbouring countries, as well as with the countries of origin and transit of Migration expand. In the past year, Frontex has sent liaison officers to third countries, including Turkey, Serbia, and Niger.
Gets Frontex enough funds from the EU member States, in order to fulfil its mandate?
As a response to the refugee crisis in 2015, the EU-Commission on 15. In December of the same year, a draft law for the establishment of a European coastal and border guard. The proposal was approved in a record time of just nine months by the European Parliament and of the Council of Europe. The new European coast guard, the Frontex gave an extended mandate, was on 6. October 2016 founded.
This is a clear sign of the strong support by European politicians for our Agency and the expansion of our tasks. For Frontex borders of the 1800 border security officials are currently in use at the EU-external in use. They are sent by the 28 EU member States and the four Schengen associated countries. Not only Brussels is behind us, with many European capitals, we work closely together.
Fabrice Leggeri is the Director of the European Agency for the border – and coast guard-in short Frontex. The issues of DW-author Astrid Prange de Oliveira, he replied via e-mail.