More Powers – More Problems: the European Parliament against the Frontex Agency

Abstract

The article analyses the accusations made by the press against the Frontex agency (The European Border and Coast Guard Agency – EBCG). Media investigations have revealed non- compliance with the norms of European and international law in the agency’s operations, including violations of migrants’ rights during maritime search and rescue operations: pushback of boats, abuse of authority during return of those who were refused asylum. The author presents the positions of the Council and the Commission, emphasizing that the activities and reputation of the EBCG are very important for the EU leadership, since the agency’s reform is one of the few points of the program document «Pact on Migration and Asylum» that does not cause objections from the Member States. The article also touches upon the issues of arming the agency’s personnel, which cannot be organized without a clear legal justification. While agreeing with the Commission’s assertion that the increased attention to Frontex’s activities is due to the prospects for expanding its powers, staff and funding, the author still concludes that the agency’s problems reflect the unsatisfactory state of the EU’s migration and asylum policy.

Keywords

• frontex
• european border and coast guard service
• human rights
• expulsion of migrants
• migration and asylum pact
• rescue operations at sea.