EU commissioners dodge questions on refugee deaths scandal
Jerome Hughes
Press TV, Brussels
A damning report shows the EU border and coastguard agency, Frontex, was involved in human rights violations and tried to cover them up.
The agency's efforts to force refugees away from EU borders at sea resulted in thousands of deaths. Jerome Hughes reports from Brussels...
It's estimated at least 2,000 refugees drowned in the Aegean Sea during 2020 as they were pushed back from the EU coastline by Frontex, the 27-nation bloc's border and coastguard agency. Frontex prevented at least 40,000 asylum-seekers from reaching the EU which blatantly breaks international law.
A report by OLAF, the EU's anti-fraud office, concludes Frontex has been systematically involved in human rights abuses. The scandal was raised by reporters on Thursday following a meeting of EU justice and home affairs ministers.
However, on Friday, EU Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson only took three unrelated questions from journalists despite many lining up to ask about the Frontex scandal.
According to the OLAF report, Frontex top management not only ignored indications of human rights violations, they were also complicit. Former head of Frontex, Fabrice Leggeri, and his team gave instructions to look the other way so as not to witness push-backs.
In addition, they covered up the illegal practices of Greek border officials. Leggeri resigned last April after parts of the Frontex scandal first came to light.
The EU pays outside countries billions of euro to stop refugees from traveling to the bloc. Apparently, this practice contributes to the rights abuses.
To compound the injustice, EU ministers have pledged to expand support measures to four million Ukrainian refugees who have arrived in the bloc and insist there is no limit on the number who can still travel here.
The GUE/ NGL group of EU lawmakers, known as The Left, is demanding that a debate on the Frontex scandal is held in the European Parliament next week. .
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