Sunday

3rd Dec 2023

Opinion

The first 100 days of the New Frontex Director

On 15 January 2015, the new Director of Frontex Fabrice Leggeri started his mandate. This top civil servant from the French Ministry of Interior, who also held diplomatic positions, is now in charge of coordinating the border management operations of the EU member states.

He is taking his new function amidst one of the worst contemporary migration crisis. 2014, was the deadliest year for migrants. The number of refugees has never been so high since Second World War. Fatalities in the Mediterranean were the highest.

Read and decide

Join EUobserver today

Become an expert on Europe

Get instant access to all articles — and 20 years of archives. 14-day free trial.

... or subscribe as a group

According to a recent report from The International Organization for Migration (IOM), 22,000 people died during their high-risk journeys to Europe since 2000.

Europe has become the deadliest migration destination in the world, before the US with 6000 fatalities on the border with Mexico for the same period.

François Crépeau, UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants has called the EU to stop human deaths and suffering at its borders within the respect of international law. Many voices in civil society campaign for a suspension of the activities of Frontex and contest its legitimacy.

The first 100 days

Yet as argued elsewhere, Frontex is only a smokescreen for national reticence to build a common immigration policy. It is a convenient scapegoat for national policy-makers who are unable to find a collective solution to this crisis and to apprehend migration as a durable phenomenon (see here).

In order to address those challenges, the new director should pay attention to the following points in his 100 first days.

- First, communicate and be modest.

In times of crisis it is crucial to show to the European public what Frontex does best and to acknowledge its weaknesses. Acknowledge that the means, capacities and mandate of Frontex are limited and that the public and the media cannot always wait for Frontex to solve everything. Be honest and transparent about the real capacity and mandate of Frontex in order to avoid unrealistic expectations and the widening of a “Frontex capability-expectation gap” which will continue to fuel frustration.

- Then Frontex and border management should be an integral part of EU's foreign policy.

The new High Representative F. Mogherini should pay more attention to migration and border control. Frontex should be part of a coherent and coordinated approach with source countries. Having working arrangements with third countries without influencing more importantly the direction of the EU’s foreign policy is not enough. Frontex Director should be systematically consulted by the EEAS services, including on relevant CFSP missions.

- Third, rescue at sea should be at the heart of Frontex mandate, together with a humanitarian approach to the Mediterranean refugee crisis.

Improving those capacities along measures such as the issuance of humanitarian visas for Syrian refugees should be central to any EU refugee policy.

- Exchanging information with Europol should be central to Frontex strategy.

It is time to speed-up the conclusion of the much-awaited operational agreement with Europol. The chartering of cargo ships by organised crime networks is a new step in the industrialisation of human trafficking. This should be stopped and Frontex must play its part by providing all relevant information gathered from its debriefings with migrants to Europol in order to support on-going investigations to bring down those networks.

- Fifth, anchoring the Fundamental Rights Strategy and Ethics in the agency’s daily practice requires more intense educative curriculum, exchange of best practices and a genuine dialogue with civil society and migrants.

Capitalising upon transnational networks with EU member states, international organisations such as UNHCR, the Council of Europe, the OSCE etc. would help to think about ways to improve behaviours and identify operational challenges.

A less Eurocentric approach

Those measures should constitute an integral part of a comprehensive migration approach, which should force the EU to think about opening its border to refugees and setting up large-scale resettlement programmes.

The rapid transformation of migratory fluxes and geopolitics in its neighbourhood should also open a debate on the de-Europeanisation of the management of migration control which would take into account third countries' needs and capacities.

This requires a less Eurocentric approach as well as a deep and sincere discussion over the legal means of migration to Europe.

Sarah Wolff is Lecturer at Queen Mary University of London and an expert on EU border and migration policies. You can follow her blog here

Disclaimer

The views expressed in this opinion piece are the author's, not those of EUobserver.

EU asylum system is 'dysfunctional'

With Sweden and Germany taking in two-thirds of all of Europe's Syrian refugees, the EU asylum system is "very dysfunctional" the UN has said.

Frontex resource limitations put agency in straitjacket

The EU border agency has the potential to police Europe's borders, save lives and reduce human trafficking, but lack of means and political will reduces it to a resource-poor coordinating agency, says a report by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism.

Frontex in dire need of border guards

Europe's border agency is understaffed on the Greek islands and EU borders with Turkey and Serbia, while EU member states haven't delivered on guards and equipment requests.

Dubai's COP28 — a view from the ground

Discussion of the biggest existential threat humanity has ever faced is barely mentioned on billboards or signage in Dubai — yet visitors are made aware quite quickly that t world rugby sevens tournament is imminent.

'Pay or okay?' — Facebook & Instagram vs the EU

Since last week, Mark Zuckerberg's Meta corporation is forcing its European users to either accept their intrusive privacy practices — or pay €156 per year to access Facebook and Instagram without tracking advertising.

'Pay or okay?' — Facebook & Instagram vs the EU

Since last week, Mark Zuckerberg's Meta corporation is forcing its European users to either accept their intrusive privacy practices — or pay €156 per year to access Facebook and Instagram without tracking advertising.

My experience trying to negotiate with Uber

After working with people in unusual employment situations for a decade, I thought I had seen it all as a union organiser. Then I began dealing with Uber.

Latest News

  1. Israel's EU ambassador: 'No clean way to do this operation'
  2. Brussels denies having no 'concern' on Spain's amnesty law
  3. Dubai's COP28 — a view from the ground
  4. Germany moves to criminalise NGO search-and-rescue missions
  5. Israel recalls ambassador to Spain in new diplomatic spat
  6. Migrant return bill 'obstructed' as EU states mull new position
  7. Paris and Berlin key to including rape in gender-violence directive
  8. What are the big money debates at COP28 UN climate summit?

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. Nordic Council of MinistersArtist Jessie Kleemann at Nordic pavilion during UN climate summit COP28
  2. Nordic Council of MinistersCOP28: Gathering Nordic and global experts to put food and health on the agenda
  3. Friedrich Naumann FoundationPoems of Liberty – Call for Submission “Human Rights in Inhume War”: 250€ honorary fee for selected poems
  4. World BankWorld Bank report: How to create a future where the rewards of technology benefit all levels of society?
  5. Georgia Ministry of Foreign AffairsThis autumn Europalia arts festival is all about GEORGIA!
  6. UNOPSFostering health system resilience in fragile and conflict-affected countries

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. European Citizen's InitiativeThe European Commission launches the ‘ImagineEU’ competition for secondary school students in the EU.
  2. Nordic Council of MinistersThe Nordic Region is stepping up its efforts to reduce food waste
  3. UNOPSUNOPS begins works under EU-funded project to repair schools in Ukraine
  4. Georgia Ministry of Foreign AffairsGeorgia effectively prevents sanctions evasion against Russia – confirm EU, UK, USA
  5. Nordic Council of MinistersGlobal interest in the new Nordic Nutrition Recommendations – here are the speakers for the launch
  6. Nordic Council of Ministers20 June: Launch of the new Nordic Nutrition Recommendations

Join EUobserver

Support quality EU news

Join us