Bulgaria inaugurated five new coast guard patrol vessels to guard the Black Sea border to EU as a measure to meet the requirements for accession to the Schengen Agreement. (…) All five new ships have been included in Bulgaria’s integrated system for the observation of the sea border, which is part of the European External Border Surveillance System (EUROSUR). They will be taking part in operations of the Frontex Agency, coordinating the operational cooperation between member states in the field of border security under the European Patrol Network project.
For the first time since it was launched in 2004, Frontex, the Warsaw-based agency responsible for the EU’s external borders, has funded and organised its own charter flight to deport undocumented aliens. Le Monde reports that on 28 September, “in a deliberately low-key operation,” 56 Georgian migrants arrested in Poland, France, Austria and Germany were flown from Warsaw to the Georgian capital Tbilisi. In 2011, Frontex, which has has been granted a budget of 676 million euros for the period 2008-2013, plans to organise and finance between 30 and 40 charters to repatriate migrants who have illegally entered the EU. For Frontex’s deputy director, the increased role of the European Union “will come as a relief to national governments who will no longer have to ‘carry the burden’ of negative public opinion, embarrassment and disapproval prompted by collective repatriation procedures.” Le Monde also notes that “another advantage” of grouped operations is that they benefit from the “added weight” of the EU, “which can exert more pressure than individual member states when negotiating with third countries on the return of their citizens.”
The Security and Defense Agenda thinktank organised a roundtable on ‘finetuning EU border policy’, in Brussels on September 29th. Key speaker was Ilkka Laitinen, Executive director of FRONTEX. Thirty activists disturbed the meeting of industrials, politicians, lobbyists and ‘independant’ experts.
Furthermore, there has been protest against Frontex at the airport of Brussels on the 2.10.2010: Pictures
Today, unkown activists beautified the Frontex-Box on the Greek island of Samos. The Frontexplode-Campaign welcomes this action, but denys any responsibility. To say it with Ilkkas´ words:
We are not responsible. We are just a coordinator!
New version of the FRONTEX film: It also includes the actions against FRONTEX on the greek island of Lesvos and during their “birthday party” in Warsaw.
General Motors of the European Army and Border Surveillance (EABS) says „Thank you“ to the space researchers at the COSPAR 2010 in Bremen.
COSPAR is a big meeting of up to 3000 space researchers from all over the world that took place in Bremen this month. It was mainly financed by the Bremen based multinationals OHB and EADS who are involved in European satellite programs like GMES or SAR-LUPE that are used by the German army and also by FRONTEX in the war against refugges.
Continue reading ‘Bremen: Small action against the link between space research, military purposes and the FORNTEX war against refugees’
In 2009, there was a significant decrease in illegal migration at the EU external borders compared to 2008. This decreasing trend was the result of two factors: firstly, employment opportunities, which are the main pull factor for illegal migration to the EU, were reduced by the global economic downturn, and secondly, there was a strong deterrent effect of more effective border controls between Western Africa and the Canary Islands, and between Lybia and the Island of Lampedusa.
Here, you can find their report.
Press release:
For one more time on thursday 1/7/2010 50 refugees where transported for the detention center of samos to be deported. They where transferred to
the center of Aspropyrgos without having been informed that they will be
transferred or the reasons without Lawyers and without translators. For one more time the police the coast guard and frontex coordinate their actions and transferred illegaly also a minor of 15 years with health problems. Who gives the permission to frontex to be inside the detention centers and collects informations from the refugees and decides about their nationalities and their deportation?
Continue reading ‘Movement for the Human Rights Solidarity to the Refugees – Samos (Greece)’
On 5th of may 2010 a Frontex deportation charter left with some 40/50
migrants from Rotterdam Airport to Lagos/Nigeria and Cameroon. Next to the Netherlands (organizing country) three other EU countries took part: Germany, Belgium and United Kingdom. The flight would have taken place on the 28th of april, but due to the ash cloud it was postponed for one week.
The deportation plane was very probably from Lufthansa-owned British Midland International (as it was described as a British company in dark blue colors). There were 2 escorts per deported person.
From the 24th to the 25th of Mai, Frontex hold a conference in the Hilton Hotel in Warsaw. The reason for this conference was the fifth anniversary of Frontex: There were meetings, presentations and even a Exhibtion of Border Surveillance Technology took place. Cynically, Frontex also proclaimed a “European Day for Borderguardes”. The day before the opening of the conference, a Nigerian trader was shot by the police on the market in Warsaw during a raid. Surely, Frontex is not directly responsible for this murder. But, Frontex is one part of a racist european-wide system, in which racist border policy also takes effect inside of Europe. That´s why activists showed a banner: “Your System murders Migrants – Police Kill in Warsaw – May 23. 2010.“
Continue reading ‘Protest at Frontex’ fifth anniversary in Warsaw’
