FRONTEX - AND PROTECTION OF EU BORDERS


We experience now once again a strong pressure on EU’s external borders. This time on the border between Greece and Turkey. And not just from real refugees from the ongoing war in Syria, but from lot of migrants from other countries, which according to UN’s High Commissioner for Refugees UNHCR in Geneva do not have the right to get refugee status. 

 This situation has been created by Turkey, which without details have told millions of migrants in Turkey that “the border to EU is now open, and we offer to take you there”. The problem is that the border is not open, and that the agreement from 2016 between the EU and Turkey obliges the Turkish authorities to prevent migrants from leaving the country. That agreement also says that the EU pays Turkey 6 billion € to help covering the costs for hosting all the migrants, incl. refugees from Syria. 

 This agreement now seems to be under pressure, probably due to president Erdogan’s internal political problems in the country – and esp. because of the war in Syria, which Turkey now is an active partner in.
This is a very complicated situation – which I intend to come back to later, incl. the important difference between real refugees, who have international rights, and other migrants who do not have such rights.  They just want a better life. Nothing wrong about that. But it does not give them rights, incl. a right to get into the EU.
Today I want to tell briefly about EU’s external borders and what is being done to protect them.  It is in particular the borders around the 26 countries ( incl. 4 non-EU countries ), which are part of the Schengen area.  Inside that area all borders have been abolished, and everybody can move freely, also people from outside the area. This is a great, daily advantage for the 420 mill. people living in the area.  But it requires that you protect the common external borders between Schengen and the rest of the world. This is a joint border with a joint responsibility to look after. 
To understand the problem you should know that Schengen has 44.000 km sea border and 9.000 km land border. And about 700 mill. people cross these borders every year. That is why EU in 2004 created an agency to coordinate the protection of these borders. It is called FRONTEX  ( from frontieres extérieures ).  It has all 26 Schengen-countries as members. Its headquarters is in Warsaw, Poland. It has today a staff of 700 people. It is agreed that it will increase during the coming years to about 10.000.  The Board consists of representatives for the 26 Schengen countries border authorities.
It is very important to underline that in the mandate for the work of FRONTEX is it stated that it has to be done “in accordance with the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights”, which has been a part of the EU treaties since 2009.
The main guidelines are that the tasks of FRONTEX are to promote, coordinate and  develop the management of frontiers towards third countries.  It continues to be the individual member states, which have the responsibility and the manpower.  FRONTEX is also organising an efficient exchange of information between the border authorities and is preparing regular risk evaluations.
In 2016 – following the migration crisis in 2015 – FRONTEX was strengthened further. It may now with very short notice request manpower from the member states to use it in special areas with particular problems. It is called the “European Border and Coast Guard”.  This urgent assistant is called “Rapid Border Intervention”.
This was exactly what Greece asked for in early March. And manpower and 700 mill. € are right now on the way to assist the Greek authorities.
You can read more about FRONTEX here:  https://frontex.europa.eu/  
If you want to follow the present crisis and its development on the Greek-Turkish border, you can do it in two English-language daily newspapers from Greece and Turkey:
Greece:     Kathimerini:                    www.ekathimerini.com

Turkey:     Hurriyet Daily News:     www.hurriyetdailynews.com

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