Interview: More ambitious EU border management policy needed: official

Fabrice Leggeri, executive director of Frontex, called for more ambitious EU border management policy here in a recent interview with Xinhua.

With difficult years ahead for the Mediterranean as asylum seekers from war-torn Syria and economically deprived African countries keep pushing their way into Europe, EU member states must work for a more ambitious European border management policy, with strengthened border control, better detection before entry and higher repatriation rates, said Leggeri.

"In the next five years I am ready to face very tough situations on EU's external borders," said Leggeri.

The 47-year-old Frenchman took over Frontex, the European Agency for the Management of Operational Cooperation at the External Borders of the EU Member States, for a five-year term since last January. He attended a conference organized by the World Customs Organization in Rotterdam earlier this week.

Frontex has registered more than 800,000 illegal border crossings since the beginning of the year, more than half coming through the eastern route from Turkey to Greece, according to the head of the agency.

Established in 2004, Frontex helps border authorities from different EU countries work together. It has launched many operations to detect and stop illegal immigration, human trafficking and terrorist infiltration.

The top nationalities of immigrants crossing from Turkey to Greece are Syrians, Iraqis, Afghanis, Pakistanis and Bangladeshis. The number of irregular economic migrants from Africa who use the eastern European refugee path is also growing. "They fly to Turkey then they go by boat to Greece or to Bulgaria," said Leggeri.

According to the 17-point plan reached last Sunday in Brussels by EU and Balkan leaders to cooperate on managing flows of migrants through the Balkan peninsula, Frontex would step up activity at Greek land borders with the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Albania to ensure people trying to cross would be registered. It will also reinforce its presence at Croatia's border with Serbia.

However, the executive director of Frontex regretted the shortage of manpower. Frontex had anticipated the increased needs for additional activities earlier in October when it asked EU Member States and Schengen Associated Countries to provide 775 border guards, including 610 for operations in Greece and 105 for new land operations in the Western Balkans region. So far, member states have agreed to provide 326 officers.

"If Frontex gets more border guards then we can increase the number of migrants fingerprinted and identified on the EU external borders," Leggeri told Xinhua.

Currently there are only 220 border guards along the Greek islands. More guards would also facilitate rescue operations. "If we want to save more lives we need more people," said Leggeri.

The Frontex chief also aims at working more closely with the Turkish authorities. Frontex will deploy a liaison officer between Greece and Turkey by the end of the year.

"Our goal is to increase the exchange of information on smugglers in order to facilitate the detection of immigrants in Turkey before they embark on dangerous crossing to the Greek islands," he told Xinhua. "Turkey has only detected 65,000 attempts of irregular crossings this year, while our numbers are eight times higher."

Apart from detection before entry, European Union states need to step up efforts to repatriate thousands of migrants fleeing poverty rather than war, according to the head of Frontex. Frontex operations in Greece had revealed high levels of "nationality swapping" of people claiming to be Syrian but found using false passports.

"Member states must do more in terms of return. Increased return rates should act as a deterrent to irregular migration," said Leggeri. EU countries deport less than 40 percent of the migrants staying illegally in their territories, European Commission data show.

EU member states should reinforce their detention capacity in order to ensure that illegal migrants do not disappear before being deported, said Leggeri.

As to fear of terrorism linked to migration, the head of European border agency assured that "so far there is no evidence." Nevertheless, Frontex is raising awareness to debriefers to attain information relevant to terrorism and also to smugglers.

"Smugglers operate like travel agents," said Leggeri. Most of the smugglers in Turkey operate in Instabul, Ismir and Bodrum. "Some are members of organized networks, but others operate individually and in a lot of cases offer petty services, especially on the crossing to Lesvos."

Many immigrants make the short hop from Turkey's southwest coast toward the island of Lesvos just 9 km away, where some 268,000 refugees have arrived since the beginning of the year. From there they board ferries to move further north into Europe, while others travel by land through western Turkey and across the Greek and Bulgarian borders.

Frontex information show that immigrants arriving at the Turkish coast find smugglers on social media. "They check the schedule of boat crossings to Greece, they sign up and embark on the next vessel," Leggeri said. Smugglers have slashed their prices lately to around 500 euros (550 U.S. dollars) per immigrant for a crossing to a Greek island, while a full trip to Germany is priced at around 5,000 euros per person. Enditem