Tag: Borderline Europe

September 23, 2021

Quo vadis Frontex? – Reform, control or abolish?

by Borderline – Europe

Panel discussions on the illegal activities of the EU border agency and its glaring control deficit.

Criticism of practices that violate human rights has accompanied the “European Border and Coast Guard Agency”, or “Frontex” – since its founding in 2004.

From its involvement in illegal pushbacks to its cooperation with the so called “Libyan Coast Guard”: in addition to the reports of those affected and eyewitnesses, extensive video material provides evidence of these practices. Finally, the EU Parliament created the Frontex Scrutiny Group to investigate. According to the group´s report, Frontex is aware of illegal activities in the Mediterranean, but does not intervene.

Moreover, the report states that agency head Fabrice Leggeri has removed incriminating material. With unparalleled cynicism, the agency now comments that the MEPs could not prove Frontex had engaged in illegal activities. However, this was not the task of the committee.

The lack of will to investigate or admit wrongdoing or to ensure basic human rights is part of the agency’s modus operandi. Frontex puts the protection of borders above the protection of people who are in danger.

Nevertheless, Leggeri always manages to wriggle out of the accusations, no sanctions have been imposed so far and the agency continues to expand. As per its regulation, Frontex is independent, its director may not take instructions from the member states or the Commission. This has created a legal vacuum for the agency.

At the same time, the power of the Frontex director continues to grow: planes and drones for aerial surveillance under its own control, a fleet of vehicles with surveillance technology, a new armed border force under Leggeri’s command.

Why is it so difficult to indict and prosecute the illegal activities of the agency? To whom is Frontex actually accountable? What are Leggeri’s new narratives and how can we debunk them?

We will discuss with activists and experts who are confronted with the practices of Frontex at various EU external borders and in different fields of work. Together we then want to show possibilities of civil resistance.

Panel 1: Current border practices of Frontex
Situation reports from the EU external borders, on the new mandate and technical equipment of the agency

Bérénice Gaudin (Sea-Watch Airborne)
Milena Zajovic (Are You Syrious/ Border Violence Monitoring Network)
Petra Molnar (Associate Director, Refugee Law Lab, York University)
Phevos Simeonidis (Disinfaux Collective)
Moderation: Vera Deleja-Hotko (investigative Journalistin, FragDenStaat), Matthias Monroy

Panel 2: Tactics of civil resistance against Frontex
On the interlocking of political, legal, and practical struggles against the agency’s activities and its new narratives

Luisa Izuzquiza (Frag den Staat)
Omer Shatz (Lecturer at Sciences Po Paris, Legal Director of Front-Lex)
Bernd Kasparek (bordermonitoring.eu)
Amandine Bach (Political Advisor, Frontex Scrutiny Group)
Moderation: Matija Vlatković (ECCHR), Niamh Ní Bhriain (TNI Amsterdam)

To attend in person, register here: https://www.so36.com/…/36144-tickets-quo-vadis-frontex…

For live stream visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5iEpmQrxCU

November 22, 2018

Konferenz: Die Sahara – eine neue tödliche Außengrenze der EU? Externalisierung der Grenzen

Unser Europa hat keine Grenzen

Unser Europa hat keine Grenzen

Wann: 24.11.2018 – 10:00 Uhr
Wo: Aquarium (neben Südblock) Skalitzer Str. 6 10999 Berlin

English see below

Die südliche Grenze der Europäischen Union bildet nicht mehr das Mittelmeer, sondern wurde mit Hilfe von Überwachungstechnik, Grenzzäunen und militärischen Checkpoints “externalisiert”, das heißt nach Nordafrika verlagert.
Die neue südliche EU Außengrenze liegt in Libyen, Niger, Senegal, Algerien und Tunesien und soll Migrations- und Flüchtlingsströme schon in der Sahara stoppen. Nach dem großen medialen Aufschrei über den Sklavenhandel in Libyen im Dezember letzten Jahres, wurden mehr als 30.000 Menschen aus Libyen “evakuiert”.
Eine zu diesem Zweck gegründete gemeinsame Einsatztruppe der Afrikanischen Union, der Europäischen Union und der Vereinten Nationen verbrachten innerhalb von sechs Monaten Zigtausende Geflüchtete und Migrant*innen nach Niger in sogenannte Transitzentren oder direkt zurück in ihre Herkunftsländer. Im Sommer letzten Jahres deportierte Algerien irreguläre Migrant*innen – nicht in ihre Herkunftsländer, sondern bis an die südliche Grenze: 13.000 Menschen wurden von den Militärtrucks mitten in der Sahara ausgesetzt.
Tausende von Menschen liefen zu Fuß nach Niger, viele verdursteten. Während Europa Ausschiffungsplattformen diskutiert, wird in Niger die Infrastruktur dafür aufgebaut – finanziert mit europäischer Entwicklungshilfe (European Trust Fund for Africa).

Wir werden mit verschiedenen Expert*innen darüber diskutieren, wie die EU seine Außengrenzen systematisch in die Länder Nordafrikas verlegt, welche Folgen dies für die jeweiligen Länder hat und welche Unterstützungsstrukturen (Rasthäuser, Alarmphone Sahara etc) es für Migrant*innen vor Ort und in Europa gibt.

Eine Kooperation von borderline europe – Menschenrechte ohne Grenzen e.V. und dem Bildungswerk Berlin der Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung.

Vortrag, Workshops und Filmscreening mit anschließender Diskussion mit Ibrahim Manzo Diallo – Afrique Europe Interact / Alarmphone Sahara, Bruno Watara – Intitiative gegen das EU Grenzregime, Kumut Imesh- Co-Regisseur des Films und Aktivist in Paris u.a.

Die Veranstaltung wird in englischer und französischer Sprache stattfinden.

Programm:

10 – 10.45 Uhr
Begrüßung und Einleitung: Menschenrechtsverletzungen an den EU-Außengrenzen
Andrea Staeritz – Borderline Europe

10.45 – 11.00 Kaffeepause

11.00 – 12.30 Uhr
Diskussion: Lokale Auswirkungen des EU-Grenzregimes und Widerstand in
Libyen und Niger Ibrahim Manzo Diallo – Afrique Europe Interact /
Alarmphone Sahara
Andrea Staeritz – Borderline Europe

12.30 – 13.30 Uhr Mittagspause

13.30 – 14.30 Uhr
Direkte und indirekte Auswirkungen der europäischen Migrationspolitik in
Afrika
Bruno Watara – Initiative gegen das EU Grenzregime

14.30 – 15.00 Kaffeepause

15.00 – 17.00 Uhr
Filmvorführung mit anschließender Diskussion: Revenir, To Return
Kumut Imesh- Co-Regisseur des Films und Aktivist in Paris

__________________________

The Sahara – a new deadly external border of the EU? Externalisation of borders II

The Mediterranean no longer marks the southern border of the European Union. With the help of surveillance technology, border fences and military checkpoints, the border was “externalised” to North Africa.
The new southern EU external border is located in Libya, Niger, Senegal, Algeria and Tunisia and is intended to stop migration and block refugee routes flows already in the Sahara. After the media scoop and public outcry about slave auctions in Libya in December last year, more than 30,000 people were “evacuated” from Libya.
Within six months a joint task force set up for this purpose by the African Union, the European Union and the United Nations brought tens of thousands of refugees and migrants* to Niger in so-called transit centres or directly back to their countries of origin. Last summer Algeria deported irregular migrants* not to their countries of origin but to the southern border: 13,000 people were abandoned by the military trucks in the middle of the Sahara.
Thousands of people walked to Niger on foot, many dying of thirst. While Europe is discussing disembarkation platforms, Niger is building the infrastructure for this – financed with European development aid (European Trust Fund for Africa).

We will discuss with different experts how the EU systematically relocates its external borders to the countries of North Africa, what consequences this has for the respective countries and what support structures (rest houses, Alarmphone Sahara etc.) for migrants exist, there and in Europe.

A cooperation of borderline europe – Menschenrechte ohne Grenzen e.V. and the Bildungswerk Berlin of the Heinrich Böll Foundation.

Lecture, workshops and film screening with following discussion with Ibrahim Manzo Diallo – Afrique Europe Interact / Alarmphone Sahara, Bruno Watara – Intitiatve gegen das EU Grenzregime, Kumut Imesh – co-director of the film and activist in Paris and others.

The event will be held in English and French

Program:

10 – 10.45
Welcome and Introduction: Human Rights Violations at the EU external borders
Andrea Staeritz – Borderline Europe

10.45 – 11.00 Coffee break

11.00 – 12.30
Discussion: Local impacts of the EU border regime and resistance in
Lybia and Niger
Ibrahim Manzo Diallo – Afrique Europe Interact / Alarmphone Sahara
Andrea Staeritz – Borderline Europe

12.30 – 13.30 Uhr Lunch Break

13.30 – 14.30 Uhr
Direct and indirect impacts of European migration politics in Africa
Bruno Watara – Initiative gegen das EU Grenzregime