Rights groups criticize EU plans to strengthen Frontex

When EU commissioner Ursula von der Leyen laid out the priorities for her next term in office, she said she would triple the number of Frontex officials to 30,000 and equip them with  "state-of-the art technology." 

The European Union's decision to strengthen Frontex comes as immigration remains high and as calls by member states to process asylum applications in third countries grow. In addition to this, Russia is suspected of pushing migrants into the EU through shared borders or regional allies. 

Soon after the announcement in July, Frontex followed up with tenders worth 400 million euros to buy drones, night goggles and other surveillance capabilities. 

"We use these tools to monitor irregular migration routes and detect cross-border crimes such as smuggling," Krzysztof Borowski , spokesperson of Frontex, told DW. "They are particularly useful because they provide real-time video feeds," he explained, to respond to a situation as it unfolds. 

Borowski explained that the "operations are focused on key areas like the Central and Eastern Mediterranean, where irregular migration tends to be most active.’" 

But giving more men and material to the border management agency that has been engulfed in controversies has led to strong criticism from activists and NGOs.

They fear that more resources for Frontex could become instrumental in pushing migrants back into the hands of authoritarian regimes. 

Combatting Russia’s hybrid warfare

"Russia is luring migrants from Yemen up north and pushing them deliberately against the Finnish border," von der Leyen said in her speech. "This is part of the reason why we must strengthen Frontex."

Last year, Finland accused Russia of weaponizing migration when there was an influx of migrants including from Syrians and Somalians into the country. 

Back in 2021, Poland accused Russia of orchestrating a migrant crisis on the EU's doorsteps on the Belarus-Poland border. 

In an interview with Russian state media last month, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko threatened the EU that he would let the migrants "go wherever they want," unless sanctions against him were lifted. 

Frontex' new drones and other surveillance equipment is expected to be deployed on land borders to help member states spot refugee flow on Russian territory.

But as far-right parties are making more gains across Europe and as centrist parties are also beginning to take a firmer stance against uncontrolled immigration, some activists fear the video intelligence gathered by drones may be used to stop them from setting foot in the EU. 

Far-right strengthening Frontex? 

The Abolish Frontex campaign which is comprised of several NGOs said that the rise of the far right and the shift of center and liberal parties towards the right, has boosted the support for Frontex. 

"Frontex is being strengthened by far-right anti-immigrant politics to stop migrants from reaching the EU so they don’t have a chance to even apply for asylum which is a valid right," according to Josephine Valeske, a member of the group. "Frontex is getting the drones and more forces to push back the migrants."

In two separate letters in May and June this year, more than a dozen EU member states called on Ylva Johansson, EU Commissioner for Home Affairs, to step up the management of asylum seekers.  One of the letters said that the bloc should shift focus, "from managing irregular migration in Europe" to supporting transit countries or "regions of origin."

Acitivsts warn of 'torture, slavery and death' 

Oliver Kulikowski, spokesperson of Sea Watch, a German NGO operating in the Mediterranean Sea and commissioning ships to rescue migrants, said that Frontex would likely use its aerial surveillance equipment to spot migrants and share their coordinates with "militias of the so-called Libyan coastguard." He said that once migrants would be back in Libya, they could be subjected to "torture, slavery and death," a claim substantiated by a UN-backed inquiry. 

Amnesty International last year said the returnees risked "arbitrary detention and torture," in Libya. 

Borowski explained that in a search and rescue situation, Frontex would usually allert the nearest rescue coordination centers regardless of where they are, Libya included.  But he emphasised that while Frontex provided technology and support, "the decision-making for interventions or rescue operations lies with the authorities on the ground or at sea."

Last year, the EU Ombudsman investigated accusations against Frontex that it could have saved people who drowned after an incident off the Greek coast when the overcrowded Adriana vessel capsized. 

The inquiry concluded that, "current rules prevented Frontex from taking a more active role in the Adriana incident," and that it is "dependent on the actions of Member States to uphold its fundamental rights obligations and its duty to save lives."

But it also suggested that if Frontex engaged in transfers of surveillance techniques and of related capacity building to non-EU countries with poor human rights records or systemic human rights abuses, "a prior assessment of the human rights impact should always be carried out’'  

Drones to save lives 

Activists contend that drone footage should ideally be used by civic agencies to rescue people stuck at sea. They said Frontex’ assurances that it was trying to save people were empty. 

In a report in 2022, Human Rights Watch said that Frontex was complicit in abuse in Libya and that it’s guarantees rang hollow, "as long as the border agency doesn’t use the technology and information at its disposal to ensure that people are rescued promptly and can disembark at safe ports"

The UN’s International Organization for Migration (IOM) recorded the highest death toll in a decade last year and said that more than 8000 people died on migration routes, more than half as a result of drowning. 

Edited by: Andreas Illmer