Migration

In October 2020, a group of media outlets published evidence about Frontex vessels involved in human rights violations in the Aegean Sea. This raised serious questions about the EU agency’s denial of knowledge of or active contribution to pushbacks. The evidence shows how Frontex witnessed the Hellenic Coast Guard conducting pushbacks but also how the EU agency’s was actively involved in these activities. The situation at the Croatian-Bosnian border, where pushbacks and violence by the Croatian authorities are reported constantly, also raises questions on the involvement of Frontex in these breaches of human rights. In theory, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2019/1896) foresees Frontex’s obligation to terminate activities in case of violations of fundamental rights, as well as several mechanisms to prevent such breaches. The Home Affairs Committee of the German Bundestag demanded Frontex to provide them with more detailed information on the abovementioned incidents. The European Parliament Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs decided in January 2021 to set up a Frontex Scrutiny Group. Against this background, the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung invites you to an online discussion on the consequences arising from these incidents from legal, political and public authorities’ perspectives. We discussed with: - Anna Schwarz, Head of Programme “Global Transformation”, Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung European Union, Brussels - Prof. Nora Markard, Professor for International Public Law and International Human Rights, University of Münster - Matthias Oel, Director - Borders, Interoperability and Innovation, Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs, European Commission - Andreas I. Pottakis, Greek Ombudsman - Tineke Strik, Member of the European Parliament, Greens/EFA, rapporteur of the new European Parliament Frontex Scrutiny Working Group - Neda Noraie-Kia, Head of Migration Policy Europe, Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung Thessaloniki Office

Read our dossier on the New EU Pact on Migration and Asylum: https://eu.boell.org/en/new-eu-pact-m...

"Bridges" is a about bringing together different people on relevant questions on migration and asylum in Europe. "Bridges" thereby seeks to connect people who's paths would not necessarily cross otherwise and thereby create a conversation on timely topics of mutual interest.

In our first "Bridges" session we focus on the situation of Afghan people after the violent seizure of power of the Taliban in Afghanistan and ask whether and how Europe can and will provide protection for those who are forced to flee. Human Rights Activist Parwana Amiri, author of the recently published book "My pen won't break bur borders will", who fled to Greece with her Family in 2019 and since is residing in refugee camps, first in Moria on Lesbos and now in Camp Ritsona talks about her experiences as an Afghan refugee in Europe and expresses the fears and struggles of both, those who are still in the country as well as those who fled in search for protection. Stelios Kouloglou, is a Greek Member of European Parliament and of the Committee on Foreign Affairs on behalf of Syriza since 2015 and in this capacity works on issues of migration and asylum in Europe and Human Rights in particular.

Our Head of Migration Policy Europe, Neda Noraie-Kia, talked to the Greek Ombudsman, Mr. Andreas I. Pottakis, about his latest report on alleged pushbacks to Turkey of foreign nationals who had arrived in Greece in search for international protection. Mr. Pottakis provides an overview of his main findings and explains that the latest report is a preliminary one and that his own investigation is ongoing, looking at both areas, the Greek-Turkish land and maritime border. He furthermore raises serious concerns regarding the level of the protection of human rights in Greece and suggest investigation by the Greek police, but also EU policies in order to improve the transparency of the EU border and coast guard agency’s (FRONTEX).

Early March the Brussels office of the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung hosted an online discussion on the role of Frontex in the context of alleged pushbacks at the EU external borders and on potential consequences from legal, political and public authorities’ perspectives. The Greek Ombudsman joined this debate as panelist and expert. You can watch the whole discussion online here: https://tinyurl.com/n7werz8w