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Inside Frontex

BuildingFrontexFlags 20150729_112516(BRUSSELS2) It is in Warsaw in one of the towers of the new district under construction of the Polish capital that the Frontex agency has been established, responsible for assisting the Member States in managing their borders. I was able this summer, taking advantage of a trip to the Polish capital, to visit them. Here are some of the things I took away... Everything you would like to know about Frontex and didn't dare to ask. (Also read: Live from the Frontex situation room)

What is Frontex used for?

We are here for to assist member states in coping with migratory pressures explains Ewa Moncure, spokesperson for the agency. In those " who cannot face it, we deploy border guards from other countries ". But " we only operate within EU borders. Not outside. »

What operations does the agency maintain?

The agency has two large operations deployed: Triton which provides additional rescue and rescue at sea capacity in Italy, and Poseidon in Greece (land and sea). It is not only boats that are deployed but above all customs officers.

How is an operation prepared and carried out?

The plan of operation is prepared with the Member States concerned and those participating ". Once the operation has been decided upon and the resources deployed, they go " under the authority of the Member State (applicant). All resources are integrated with the internal forces, within the border control system of the country concerned. They can thus carry out interrogations under the aegis of the host country. It is the rules of this country that are applied, normally. There can of course be exceptions, reservations of employment (caveats) as in external military operations.

Who decides on an operation?

The key instance of Frontex is the "Management board". Composed of one representative per Schengen Participating State (usually the Director of Borders) and two representatives of the Commission. It meets 5 times a year (at least). It is a place of permanent discussion. The frontline countries (Malta, Bulgaria, etc.) come to present their problems but also their constraints. In the end, it is always up to the country concerned to send the Agency a formal request for assistance. The Agency cannot decide anything by itself. Each operation is thus assessed and sent to the 'Management board', in close collaboration with the European Commission. But it is the director who makes the decision at the operational level. The Board of Directors has rather THE role of defining strategic orientations, assessing the situation ". The director of Frontex also reports to the Civil Liberties Committee of the European Parliament. He takes part in the meetings of the Council of Ministers of Justice or of the Interior.

How does Frontex select its staff to deploy?

“We have defined a dozen profiles in our database. From front-line surveillance experts to debriefers, Depending on the needs, we deploy the profiles requested. Needs are defined by Frontex in close liaison with the countries concerned. We have risk analysts who have a good knowledge of the situation. We cannot carry out an operation without a clear definition of needs and knowledge of the field. »

It's hard to be very quick and responsive in a crisis

Does Frontex have its own resources?

No. And that is what is difficult. " We have no direct means. If we have funding, we must then have commitments from the Member States in boats, cars, and personnel. Today, for example, the agency has 18 boats in the zones. But these depend on the responsibility and the will of the Member States. The problem is often the speed of response. Today, " we have big commitments from Member States in Greece. But it is difficult to be very fast and reactive in the event of a crisis. Member States have their own planning and cannot immediately release resources when asked...». It's quite logical. The ship or plane used remains a national means. Although the agency finances operating costs (fuel, food, etc.), it does not finance all the depreciation of the equipment. And she must be careful not to use oversized or too expensive means. " We look closely at the means offered. We balance what it costs and how useful it can be. We are also looking at the possibility of buying aerial surveillance equipment ourselves. » via the private sector.

What budget for the agency?

The agency has a total budget this year of more than 140 million euros (133 million euros financed by the Community budget + 8,8 million euros from other Schengen countries + 820.000 euros from the United Kingdom and Ireland). Given the exceptional circumstances, the Commission has decided to extend the budget by 26,5 million euros, to the initial budget of 106,1 million euros.

How many staff does Frontex have?

About 310 people are employed by the agency: most are at headquarters and are not, strictly speaking, deployable staff. There is a small liaison center in Brussels and at the port of Piraeus, Greece (4 people). A pilot project for the Mediterranean. The agency has also recently had a liaison officer in Turkey who ensures a close link with the Turkish border guard.

Migration management: much more complex than simply closing borders

Closing the borders, a solution?

No. In general, the European Commission does not enthusiastically finance the physical reinforcement of borders “ Because if we reinforce in one point, the flow of migration takes another route, in the country, and this creates a problem elsewhere, or in another country.. The Commission has, however, done so in Bulgaria. Because, in the end, it is up to the country concerned to decide whether it wants to control, close or reinforce the border.

How to manage the migration?

It is " a very complex problem that obeys a certain number of parameters », difficult to master for Europeans, starting with conflicts and wars. And so there is no miracle solution. "We have several conflicts, in Syria, Iraq, Daesh, Yemen, South Sudan .... But there is also a whole series of developments in countries that host many migrants and refugees".

Iran, the Gulf, South Africa, Libya... host countries are becoming scarce

The time is not really welcoming in several countries of the world. " There are millions of Afghans in Iran and many are about to be deported. Tehran has asked everyone to register until December, a deadline extended to June. And Afghans fear it's a double-edged sword (rightly so). “People then look for other options. And this increases the pressure on the borders of the countries. » That the legislation changes in the Gulf countries, and that they no longer find work, and immediately the migrants " also look at the other options ". Same in other countries. " South Africa was also a big employer, now they have a big immigration problem. Libya was also a big employer ". Its instability has caused many migrants to flee. And that poses a problem. " You add up the countries at war, unstable and those closing their doors... that's a lot of people. (...) We must therefore think about more important ways of legal immigration. And at the same time, we must hunt down traffickers who earn millions of euros on the backs of migrants. »

You add up the countries at war, unstable and those closing their doors... that's a lot of people on the road.

Are the routes interchangeable?

Not really. It exists " independence between the two routes, which do not systematically compensate for each other and see different populations pass through ". There are thus more than 100.000 people who have arrived in Greece via Turkey (more than 1000 people a day arrive via the Aegean Sea). " A route taken mainly by Syrians, Afghans and people from Asia. There were 70-80.000 arrivals in Serbia and Hungary (most from Greece but not all). In the central Mediterranean, we have 80.000 who arrived in Italy from Libya. " Mainly migrants from all over Africa. The Syrians, who often have money, do not take this route too much. Libya is very dangerous. And Egypt introduced visas »

Compared to last year ?

There were 280.000 arrivals in 2014.” After the first 6 months of 2015, we are already at 225.000. The situation remains very tense ". And the situation in Libya makes it particularly “ difficult ».

A movement from the East (Belarus, Moldova, Ukraine, etc.)?

For the moment, " we do not see any risk of migration to the East. There are regular movements with Poland (and Romania). But we are more in a business relationship. People come and go, to work, with their families or not. » There are visas, but they are easy to obtain.

The price of a passage?

It depends on the type of passage, and the type of boat (inflatable or stronger boat): a few thousand euros at least. A real market...

(Nicolas Gros-Verheyde)

Nicolas Gros Verheyde

Chief editor of the B2 site. Graduated in European law from the University of Paris I Pantheon Sorbonne and listener to the 65th session of the IHEDN (Institut des Hautes Etudes de la Défense Nationale. Journalist since 1989, founded B2 - Bruxelles2 in 2008. EU/NATO correspondent in Brussels for Sud-Ouest (previously West-France and France-Soir).

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