We got our hands on the final report by #Frontex working group on #migrant pushbacks in the Aegean. Prompted by investigations by @Derspiegel, partners at @LHreports, @Belingcat & other media, it is rather embarrassing for the Agency. Main takeaways: 1/8 spiegel.de/politik/auslan…
2/8 It does not exonerate either Frontex or the Hellenic Coast Guard; It criticises the shortcomings of the EU’s strongest and exponentially growing Agency under the leadership of Fabrice Leggeri in terms of monitoring, reporting, recruitment and other crucial aspects.
3/8 It reports that after all these months, five pushback incidents are still not clarified completely, because of “deficits and the need for improvement of the reporting and monitoring system".
4/8 Frontex’s Board also mandates a series of reforms, including in the monitoring and reporting mechanisms, protection of whistleblowers, Frontex assets recording incidents on video and staying at the scene when suspect incidents occur. All appear in the right direction.
5/ And this all comes from the friendliest panel imaginable for Frontex. The report is a balancing act between migration hardliners and those in the EU more sensitive to human rights.
6/ Nevertheless the acknowledgement of serious shortcomings & the absence of an exonerating verdict vindicate @YlvaJohansson who has pushed for a thorough investigation & reforms & the need for Frontex to be a robust, but also accountable Agency that respects human rights
7/ It is also a rebuke to Greece's blanket dismissal of meticulously documented pushbacks as “fake news”. Indeed in several cases, the arguments presented by the Greek side did not convince even the Frontex working group: the report calls several of these “inconsistent”.
8/ And that is far from the end of scrutiny for the agency. The European Parliament, the EU's anti-fraud agency OLAF and the EU's Ombudswoman are carrying on their own investigations into pushbacks and Frontex's management.
8/ Shortly, Commissioner Johansson and Frontex boss Leggeri will appear at a public hearing before the European Parliament's own Frontex scrutiny group. This promises to be interesting. Anyone can follow live here at 13:15 Greek time multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/en/committee-o…
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