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?

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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.

‘Italy, Libya patrols proving to be very effective’

10th of March 2010, Paris – Lagos (Nigeria) with a stopover in Madrid/Spain – organized by France, coordinated by Frontex.

In a very old plane from EgyptAir were loaded:
From Norway: 8 Nigerians
From Denmark: 5 Nigerians
From France: 8 to 10 Nigerians
From the Netherlands: 1 Nigerian
In Spain: another 20 Nigerians

of whom 10 to 15 women and 2 or 3 children from the age of 8 or 9 years. From all the countries per deportee 3 own ‘escorts’ and from the Netherlands and France medical personnel.  All deportees were handcuffed, cuffs attached to the waist with a bodycuff, and feetcuffed, these attached with a strap to handcuffs. They were decuffed only just before arriving in Lagos. There was a delay in Madrid due to resistance of some of the 20 deportees when entering the plane. On the plane they did not recieve hot food, only bread and cheese, which was not enough. There was no television or radio during the flight. They were ‘released’, dumped at the cargo part of the airport in Lagos.

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On April 12, 2010, 126 migrants detained in the samos detention camp (Greek island) started a collective hunger strike. Their demands are

• Freedom, immediate release with the “white paper” (allowing them to travel within Greece for thirty days)
• An end to the transfers to detention centres close to the greek-turkish land border in the north, where numerous illegal deportation to Turkey are taking place. Such transfers happen between two and three times a month in Samos, the last one happened on April 9, when 40 migrants were taken.
• Transparency about the work of so-called translators in the camp. As it turns out, these often are officiers employed by Frontex, who offer their translation services, but abuse the trust of the refugees and use the access to the refugees to determine their identity and prepare their deportation. There is a particular problem with the Frontex officers who in the process of identification often change the country of origin of the migrants on paper.

In the last days, as many as 14 Frontex officers were in the detention centre. There is also talk about migrants being beaten up, some cell phones were taken, while the phones in the camp also don’t work, making it hard to communicate with the hunger strikers. No laywers seem to be present at the time.

Video and pictures

Announcement by the Samos Group

We get the information that on 8th and 22nd of April 2010
Charterdeportations to Nigeria will take place from Vienna. We expect that
this will be joint deportations, coordinated by Frontex, like it happened
several times before.

Last information about a joint deportation to Nigeria in March with people
deported from several countries: 10 from Germany, 6 from Greece, 5 from
Austria, 5 from Norway. (Source in french, summary in german)

Update: Call for action (German)

The Maltese soldiers involved in a fight with civilians in Mitilini, Lesvos were constrained to defend themselves when they were attacked by Greek locals, the Armed Forces of Malta said. The AFM said in a statement that two Maltese soldiers on Frontex duties on the Greek island were in a downtown bar early on Wednesday when they were off-duty. For no apparent reason, Greek locals in the same bar attacked them. One of the two AFM personnel managed to extract himself from the bar, and sought the support of three other colleagues of his team, who were also off-duty, to extract their remaining team member from inside the bar, where he was having problems with the aggressors.

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Frontex, the EU’s border control agency, is reportedly eyeing the possibility of using unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) for its anti-migration patrols. Arms manufacturers, it has been reported in specialist media, have been asked to advise Frontex on how their products can be used to stop asylum seekers entering the bloc’s territory. Frontex, the EU’s border management agency, is to organise an event in Spain this coming June at which several makers of pilotless drones will give presentations.

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