Frontex-Director Fabrice Leggeri: 'Border control itself is not a panacea'

Rescue operations are "the obligation of all those who are at sea," says the EU's border control boss. In a DW interview, he describes the huge challenges the EU faces in a situation that means life or death every day.

Deutsche Welle

By Astrid Prange

19 August 2017

Deutsche Welle: The Libyan government announced that it will expand its coast protection area and would not permit humanitarian aid workers to enter the security zone. Who will save the refugees now when their boats sink, Frontex?

Fabrice Leggeri: I think it is very is important to understand that Frontex does not replace border control duties of the national authorities, but instead, we provide additional technical assistance to those countries that face an increased migratory pressure. In Italy Frontex currently deploys 13 vessels, 3 helicopters, 2 aircraft and 450 border and coast guard officers who assist the Italian authorities with border surveillance, Search and Rescue, identification and registration of the migrants in various hotspots across Sicily as well as intelligence gathering about the smuggling networks operating in the countries of origin and transit. We can adjust the operational levels if needed and if so requested by the Italian authorities with special attention to the protection of vulnerable groups and referral to the asylum authorities.

There is no question about the fact that Search and Rescue is the obligation of all those who are at sea and for Frontex it is a task we take very seriously – last year alone Frontex-deployed assets contributed to the rescue of 90 000 people in Italy and Greece alone and we continue to provide support with border surveillance and search and rescue.

But it is important to understand that border control itself is not a panacea, but that only a global solution can be effective to manage these flows.

Should humanitarian aid organizations be more present in regions like Yemen, Uganda, Sudan instead of the Mediterranean Sea?

Frontex is an operational, not political organization, and our role is to provide technical assistance to those countries which face an increased migratory pressure. As I responded before: Search and Rescue is not only a legal obligation, but it is also a duty of all those who are at sea. There is no doubt that the smugglers are taking advantage of the tragedy of the refugees and migrants and are profiting heavily from their desperation; In 2015 it is estimated they profited between 4 – 6 billion euros from their dirty business. The situation at all external borders of the EU –  not only in Italy, but also increasingly in Spain and in Greece, remains very difficult and while not being one organization, the smugglers operating in Morocco, Algeria, Libya, Egypt and Turkey seem to have one thing in common: little concern for the safety of the migrants, putting 150 migrants on board of boats which should not be carrying more than 10, in difficult weather conditions. These often capsize shortly after leaving the shores of these countries resulting in terrible tragedies.

The solution to the current situation must consist of many elements, not one: eliminating the root causes of migration: wars, conflicts, poverty and famine, dismantling the ruthless criminal networks which are taking advantage of the desperate situation the migrants are in and, lastly opening up of legal channels allowing the refugees to apply for asylum without having to put themselves in the hands of the traffickers. But we all know there are many challenges related to these. Frontex has contributed to the arrest of some 600 suspects of smuggling and human trafficking and we will not tire to do more to disrupt these criminal activities.

In order to assure security management of European borders, Frontex has to cooperate with governments from neighbouring countries of the EU which are not sharing the same values. Where is the limit for cooperation?

Cooperating with countries outside the EU is an integral part of Frontex's mandate. Frontex has concluded working arrangements with the authorities of 18 countries. The primary objective is to share EU best practices, train the border guards of non EU countries how to conduct border control in full respect of fundamental rights. We concentrate on what can be improved.

We aim to intensify existing bilateral cooperation with EU's neighboring countries, as well as with countries of origin and transit for irregular migration. Frontex cooperates with law enforcement authorities, provides trainings to officers, organizes workshops, shares risk analyses to strengthen the border control capacities of the non-EU countries.

Last year, as part of the extended mandate of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, Frontex has started deploying liaison officers to third countries. At the moment we have a liaison officer in Turkey, Serbia and Niger. Their task is to monitor the migratory situation in the countries and strengthen the cooperation between host countries and Frontex.

In order to fulfill his mandate, Frontex is getting enough support from Brussels and EU members?

Responding to the unprecedented migratory situation in 2015, the European Commission on 15 December of the same year, presented a legislative proposal for the creation of a European Border and Coast Guard. It proposed creating a new agency on the existing structures of Frontex, to meet the new challenges and political realities faced by the EU at its external borders, especially related to migration and internal security.

The proposal was approved by the European Parliament and Council in a record time of just nine months, the new European Border and Coast Guard Agency was officially launched on 6 October 2016, giving Frontex a new and broader mandate. This clearly proves the strong commitment of European policymakers to strengthen the agency and to give us wider tasks, including the fight against cross-border crime and providing security within the Union.

Frontex currently deploys some 1,800 border and coast guard officers who work at external borders – not only along Europe's maritime borders, but also at land and at many international airports. These officers are deployed by 28 EU member states and four Schengen associated countries. We do see an important commitment not only from Brussels, but also from the European capitals with which we work very closely.

This email interview was conducted by Astrid Prange de Oliveira.

Source:  http://www.dw.com/en/frontex-director-fabrice-leggeri-border-control-itself-is-not-a-panacea/a-40153595

Migrants: Tajani in favor of dialogue with Tripoli, Benghazi

'But also with the tribes in the country's south'

ANSAmed

25 August 2017

CATANIA - European Parliament President Antonio Tajani said Europe has a "duty to intervene" in the migrant crisis, in response to a journalist's question about a UNHCR report criticizing Europe because it can't extend its border to Libya.
"No one wants to extend the borders of Europe to Libya, but there's a problem that regards our continent: the significant migrant flows now, that will probably involve millions of people in the future if there's no intervention, are a fundamental problem for the stability and security of Europe," Tajani said.

"We must work to make Libya a more cohesive country, by favoring dialogue between Tripoli and Benghazi but also with the tribes in the country's south, without wasting more time. I think the migrant code of conduct for NGOs is a positive choice because it gives rules. We can't allow doubts regarding NGOs trying to help irregular migration. Therefore, to avoid this doubt, there must be rules and they must be respected. Of course, everyone who needs to be saved at sea must be saved at sea, but we have to prevent NGOs from undertaking operations that violate Libyan territorial waters and push immigrants to come to Europe, indirectly helping human trafficking organisations. Strength, not violence, must be used by Europe to stop this indecent trafficking of human beings," he said.

Source: http://www.ansamed.info/ansamed/en/news/sections/politics/2017/08/25/migrants-tajani-in-favor-of-dialogue-with-tripoli-benghazi_0dc3b872-8a4f-4ece-a55c-d8264fa5ec66.html

Facebook lambasted over ransom video of traffickers abusing migrants

Reuters

By Emma Batha

25 August 2017

LONDON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - People smugglers are using Facebook to broadcast the abuse and torture of migrants in order to extort ransom money from their families, the U.N. migration agency said on Friday.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) lambasted the tech giant for failing to police the platform and help crack down on traffickers.

One video hosted on the site since June shows Libyan gangmasters threatening emaciated and abused migrants - mostly Somalis and Ethiopians - huddled in a concrete room.

IOM said the traffickers had sent clips to the captives’ families via the encrypted messaging service WhatsApp - a Facebook channel - along with threats that their loved ones would be killed unless ransoms of up to $10,000 were paid.

One young Somali man is seen lying face down with a concrete block on his back. “I was asked for $8,000,” he says, according to the IOM. “They broke my teeth. They broke my hand. I have been here 11 months. They put this stone on me for the last three days. It’s really painful.”

British newspaper The Times, which ran the story on its front page on Friday, also quoted a young Ethiopian who had been held for 15 months. “They beat me with iron bars,” he said.

“They ordered me to pay $8,300 and my family cannot afford to pay that amount.”

Hundreds of thousands of refugees and migrants have crossed the Mediterranean from North Africa to Europe since 2014, and thousands have died trying.

Facebook, which has also been criticized for failing to stop traffickers using the platform to advertise their services, said posts by smuggling groups would be removed if reported.

“We encourage people to keep using our reporting tools to flag this kind of behavior so it can be reviewed and swiftly removed by our global team of experts, who work with law enforcement agencies around the world,” a spokesperson said.

But Facebook said it had not removed the June video as it had been posted by a Somali journalist and was important for raising awareness of the problem.

However, IOM spokesman Leonard Doyle accused Facebook of “arrant nonsense”, adding that the smugglers had used the journalist to publicize their demands.

He told the Thomson Reuters Foundation it was totally inappropriate for Facebook to host a video showing the faces of vulnerable people being abused.

”Don’t let Facebook off the hook here,“ he said. ”It’s an absolutely nonsensical argument that it’s up to the public to notify Facebook of stuff that’s happening on Facebook.

“They should invest heavily in policing their platforms to stop vulnerable migrants being exploited, extorted and murdered.”

Doyle said the IOM had tried without success to talk to Facebook about targeting smugglers.

"They should stop smugglers telling people there's an El Dorado waiting for them in Europe when it's a lie," he added.

"It's not good enough to say, 'we are a technology platform, it's got nothing to do with us'."

Doyle said the IOM had tried to find the people in the video, but they had disappeared.

Editing by Ros Russell; Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, which covers humanitarian news, women’s rights, trafficking, corruption and climate change.

Source: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-asia-storm-idUSKCN1B60SA

Facebook removes posts made by people smugglers aiming to lure migrants

Social media content painting a positive picture of risky Mediterranean sea crossings is removed after Guardian highlights nature of material

The Guardian

By Karen McVeigh

25 August 2017

Facebook has removed several posts made by people smugglers openly advertising to attract migrants seeking passage to Europe.

Written in Arabic, many of the posts were accompanied by videos and testimonials of what the smugglers claim are successful trips across the Mediterranean from Turkey to Greece, and from Egypt to Italy. All were written in recent months, a time of year when many people attempt the journey.

People smugglers make about $35bn (£27bn) a year worldwide and the industry is the main driver of migrant deaths at sea, according to the head of the International Organisation for Migration. The number of migrants who have died crossing the Mediterranean has so far reached 2,400 this year.

A spokesman for Facebook said: “People smuggling is illegal and any posts that coordinate this activity are not allowed on Facebook. We have removed all of the content that the Guardian shared with us for violating our community standards. We encourage people to use our reporting tools to flag this kind of behaviour so it can be reviewed and swiftly removed by our global team of experts, and escalated to law enforcement where required.”

Facebook posts by smugglers attempt to paint a rosy picture of the service. They are often accompanied with images of large boats in calm seas or posts about “successful” trips. In one entry, a smuggler describes himself as a noble “hero”, enabling people to access a better life in Europe. Another, in response to a query on the risks involved, says: “Some are worried about safety and security. You have to understand, it’s in our interest to get you to your destination securely so that others will come.”

The sea crossing is one of the fastest-growing black markets in the world, sparking fierce competition between smugglers whose business rests on their reputation, said Paolo Campana, a criminologist at the University of Cambridge.

“Because there is no regulation, the trust problem becomes more acute,” he said. “To trust the wrong smuggler can have fatal consequences.”

Campana is examining social media posts and court records of prosecutions to analyse the networks behind smuggling operations and understand how migrants choose between them. “It is easy to enter the market, so it is competitive,” he said. “You have to advertise your services and you have to be perceived as a competent smuggler.

“What is on Facebook is just the surface. There are closed groups, which we do not have access to. If you see what is in the public domain, then there will be even more behind closed doors,” he said.

A researcher on his team, who analysed Facebook posts mainly from smugglers offering crossings to Syrians via the eastern Mediterranean route (to the Greek islands via Turkey), found evidence of smugglers offering an insurance scheme. If the initial boat was apprehended by Turkish coastguards, a second, third or fourth trip would be free. The prices varied from $450 for a small dinghy, to $1,500 for a “safe private yacht for families”.

Campana said he didn’t know how many crossings are negotiated on the internet, but said social media was just “one aspect” of the booming illegal trade. “In the last five years there have been 2 million illegal border crossings into the EU, including Britain. More than 95% of the journeys involved a sea crossing. And you can’t do a sea crossing without the involvement of one or more smugglers.”

Between 2014 and 2015, illegal border crossings along the eastern Mediterranean route, from Turkey to Italy and Greece, increased more than 17-fold, from about 50,000 to 885,000, although they have since dropped. On the central Mediterranean route, widely considered the most dangerous into Europe, the number of crossings has soared from more than 60,000 in 2011, to 181,000 in 2016.

Campana said the EU focus on policing and naval operations in the Mediterranean was counter-productive, but the issue was a “huge moral dilemma” for authorities.

“Naval operations are very noble; however, they have the unintended consequence of assisting the smugglers by taking the refugees off their hands very close to the Libyan coast – making the ‘product’ more attractive and, ultimately, increasing the number of journeys,” Campana said.

“This is a market driven by exponential demand, and it is that demand which should be targeted. Land-based policies such as refugee resettlement schemes are politically difficult, but might ultimately prove more fruitful in stemming the smuggling tide,” he said.

Joel Millman, a spokesman for IOM, said the organisation had come across Facebook posts from smugglers trying to use their name as an endorsement. “We have had some luck with Facebook, who have shut [posts] down on the basis they are fraudulent. But, unfortunately, they pop up again.”


Source: https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2017/aug/25/facebook-removes-posts-made-by-people-smugglers-aiming-to-lure-migrants

'Mistake' to bring rescued boat migrants to Italy: Tajani

Business Standard

25 August  2017

Catania (Italy), Aug 25 (IANS/AKI) Italy was wrong to allow all migrants saved in the Mediterranean to enter the country, Antonio Tajani, President of the European Parliament, told journalists on Friday.

"We should recall that Italy chose to be allowed to bring here all those who are rescued. And obviously, it's a mistake," Tajani said during a visit to the Sicilian port city of Catania.

"That has happened. We need to change the agreement," said Tajani, who belongs to the centre-right European People's Party containing over 70 national parties from 40 countries.

Tajani was one of the founders of billionaire media magnate and Italian ex-premier Silvio Berlusconi's conservative Forza Italia party and is a former EU transport and industry commissioner.

Immigration is one of the thorniest issues facing politicians in Italy, where over 614,000 foreigners have arrived in the past three years, mostly sub-Saharan Africans who landed by boat from Libya.

Italy accuses other European Union countries of failing to share the burden of housing, maintaining and employing the migrants and wants to stem the influx.

It recently introduced a controversial code of conduct for charities rescuing migrants in the Mediterranean - which several have refused to sign - amid allegations that the NGOs are abetting illegal immigration.

--IANS/AKI mr/


Source:  http://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ians/mistake-to-bring-rescued-boat-migrants-to-italy-tajani-117082501094_1.html

Libyan Coast Guard prepared for the fight against illegal immigration

The Libya Observer

24 August 2017

The Libyan Navy official spokesperson, Brigadier General Ayoub Qasim, stated that they are prepared to tackle the issue of illegal immigration and the new tactics being used by human traffickers.

Qasim said in a press statement that the decline in the flow of illegal immigration is due to the presence of the Libyan Coast Guard and Navy forces in areas where migratory boats pass.

Qasim added that curbing the work of foreign NGOs has had a positive role in reducing the smuggling of migrants as well as the movement of people in prominent smuggling areas.

Source: https://www.libyaobserver.ly/inbrief/libyan-coast-guard-prepared-fight-against-illegal-immigration

EU’s failure over illegal migrants fuels crisis

The Australian

By Bruno Waterfield - The Times

24 August 2017

Europe’s failure to send home rejected asylum-seekers is worsening the migrant crisis, senior figures in Brussels believe.

An economic migrant who survives the journey across the Mediterranean has a 73 per cent chance of remaining in the EU even if served with an order to leave, official statistics show.

Less than a third of those told to leave are removed, creating an incentive for economic migrants to join refugees striving to reach Europe.

The latest figures for migrant arrivals show a surge from Africa and Asian countries with historically lower rates of recognition of refugee status than states such as Syria and Eritrea, suggesting that many people may be moving for economic reasons.

One EU diplomat working on migration said: “The inability of EU governments to enforce deportations is the biggest pull factor. If people know that as illegal immigrants they have a 70 per cent-plus chance of being able to stay, even if ordered to leave, then it is hardly surprising people get into the boats.”

David Wood, former director-general of immigration enforcement at the UK Home Office, said: “(In) reality . . . the vast majority stay here, regardless of the merits of their application.”

The concerns come as part of a series of reports by The Times on mass migration and its effect on countries and people along migrant routes, from Nigeria to Libya, into Italy and across Europe.

There were about 2.6 million asylum applications in 2015-16 with an average success rate of 57 per cent. That left governments with one million people to return, a report by the European Commission said.

The commission registers a “rate of effective return” to non-EU countries of 36.4 per cent. When returns to the western Balkans are disregarded, the figure drops to 27 per cent.

The profile of those arriving in Europe is also changing. The largest group to arrive last year was Syrian and more than 98 per cent of them were given asylum. In the first half of this year the largest group came from Nigeria, with 14,120 arrivals. In the previous year, the last for which figures are available, 21.7 per cent of Nigerians were given asylum. Guinea, Ivory Coast and Bangladesh were the next largest sources of arrivals this year, with Syria fifth.

In a letter to governments in March, Jean-Claude Juncker, the European Commission president, said: “Only a third of those who should be returned are effectively returned. This is . . . not sustainable.”

The commission is considering sanctions on states that obstruct the return of failed asylum seekers, including denying visas to their citizens.

Additional reporting: Catherine Philp and Richard Ford


Source: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/the-times/eus-failure-over-illegal-migrants-fuels-crisis/news-story/0907204643be2020c9ac6ab2dbb9e329