FRONTEX and Border Controls at the Greek Turkish Border

In a recent report of Human Rights Watch, the well known NGO accuses FRONTEX for having contributed to violations of the human rights of migrants apprehended at the Greek Turkish border for illegally entering into Greece. FRONTEX officers deployed at the Evros region in the context of the first ever RABIT operation (that took place in Greece during the winter 2010 and early 2011) conducted interviews with apprehended aliens with the aim of establishing their nationality/country of origin. While they were aware that the period of detention and overall treatment of these aliens by Greek authorities had clearly to do with their nationality they did nothing for ensuring that these people would have fair treatment and the opportunity to lodge an asylum claim, if they had reasons to do so.

According to the Greek authorities tactics, apprehended aliens who were entering Greece illegally were held for several months if they came from a country that cooperates with Greece and where these people could realistically be sent back to. If the apprehended aliens came from a country that has no consular authorities in Greece, does not cooperate with the Greek state and to which, hence, these people could not realistically be sent back to, they were released from the detention centres (with an expulsion decision asking them to leave the country within 30 days) within a few days. While FRONTEX authorities were aware of this tactics of the Greek border authorities they did not contest it and rather contributed to the violation of the fundamental rights of the people in question who were actually not given a proper chance to apply for asylum.

As the HRW report shows many people hid their nationality and/or did not apply for asylum by fear of being held for a long time in detention. It was actually confirmed by the study that they were generally told by the Greek authorities that if they applied for asylum they would be held in detention for a long time. This was again a strategy of the Greek authorities to discourage asylum applications. In this report FRONTEX is thus accused for collaborating with these unacceptable practices and violating its own mandate.

Nonetheless responding to a question by a journalist (see the video above), the Commissioner Cecilia Maelstrom and her collaborators defend the FRONTEX forces saying that they had no responsibility since they were acting under the command of the national forces. As if this was an appropriate and good enough justification… One wonders then why there has been such a public outcry (which was actually quite well justified) against Greece – if then FRONTEX holds no responsibility for… doing just the same! Indeed one would have expected that RABIT forces aim not only to assist countries that need emergency help and are facing exceptional migration/asylum pressures but also to contribute not only enforcemennt but also legal know how on how to deal with the situation, ensuring that while the borders are guarded, the Human Rights of the people involved are also respected!

For a full version of the Human Rights Watch report see here.