Exclusive: We were able to read the confidential #OLAF report on #Frontex' involvement in Greek pushbacks in Aegean. It shows in detail that Greece commits pushbacks, Frontex financed them and covered them up – some incredible gems in there.
spiegel.de/ausland/fronte…
spiegel.de/ausland/fronte…
The report confirms all our reporting – and adds important details, based on private messages. Instead of preventing the pushbacks, Leggeri and his team covered for Greece, blatantly lied to the EU Parliament, and concealed the fact that Frontex is financing them.
The report is 129 pages, submitted in February. EU public has no access, although its their money being used for illegal purposes.
There are blatant admissions in the report: "Based on the picture and information we had and the images we saw, it was a common belief within the Agency that we were been confronted with ‘illegal pushbacks' but senior management wanted to cover [up]"
The Greek coast guard was "seriously endangering the lives of the passengers", officials noted referring to an incident from August 2020, when a flimsy dinghy, in an incident captured by a FX aerial asset, was seen being towed towards TUR.
Frontex withdrew their aerial assets in response, so not to witness more fundamental rights violations. A handwritten note dated November 16, 2020 says: "We withdrew our FSA some time ago so as not to become a witness..." The EU agency deliberately looked the other way.
Such events were repeated, officials wrote in August. "It's getting harder and harder to deal with." The incidents posed a "huge reputational risk" for the agency.
OLAF also documents how Frontex officers would self-sensor so as not to provoke the ire of their Greek hosts “Incidents were not reported through official channels as the Frontex deployed staff feared retaliation by Greek authorities”
Leggeri and his team were particularly suspicious of the EU Commission. "She is on the side of the NGOs and does not understand the role that Frontex is now playing", intercepted messages from OLAF raids reveal.
Frontex culture is toxic for Human Rights. Former Fundament Rights Officer Arnaez was compared to communist dictator Pol Pot. They and their left-wing employees would impose a "terrorist regime" in the style of the "Khmer Rouge" over the agency, intercepts reveal.
However, not only Leggeri tried to hinder their work. In a meeting, a Frontex employee warned. The fundamental rights officers are “not real Frontex colleagues”.
In other documents revealed, the agency's leadership team slanders the "stupidity" of some commission officials. When Interior Commissioner Ylva Johansson promoted the integration of immigrants in the EU on Twitter, FX leadership opine: "Everything has been said."
Reading those messages one has to conclude that the EU put Frontex, a very well-funded agency, in the hands of a right-wing populist.
The report focuses on Leggeri and his team, but puts also pressure on EU Commission and Frontex' new leadership. They would have to act now if they don't want to be complicit.
The report is apparently so toxic that many people don't want to read it. EU Commission VP Schinas, who insiders say is acting more as a Greek than an EU senior official, recently fumbled the question when asked. Kalnaja has not read it either.
Commissioner Johansson is politically responsible. She has warned GR to stop pushbacks but COM has not cut funding. Nothing has happened so far, despite a lot of evidence, see e.g. one of our latest investigations: spiegel.de/international/…
According to the regulations, Kalnaja is obliged to end an operation if "serious and persistent violations of fundamental rights" occur. The OLAF report proves this. But Kalnaja plans to expand the operation in Greece. This means more officers under control of the HCG.
We have been investigating Frontex together with @LHreports for more than two years now. Here is an overview:
https://twitter.com/stluedke/status/1519781822216949762?s=20&t=DoUT5GZmtWh2ZIsrX-A9Cw
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