The European Court will rule on the compensation claim against Frontex, the EU border agency.
Europäische Union Gerichtshof wird am Mittwoch über die Klage einer syrischen Flüchtlingsfamilie gegen die EU-Grenzschutzbehörde Frontex entscheiden.FamilieFrontex is accused of conducting pushbacks, which are illegal rejections despite a request for asylum. According to the aid organization Sea-Watch, this is the first time that a EU court has taken a stance on a „pushback facilitated by Frontex.“
Die Familie mit sechs Mitgliedern kam 2016 nach GriechenlandShe expressed her interest in seeking asylum there. A few days later, she was flown back to Turkey in a joint return operation by Greece and Frontex.
Nicht der erste Vorwurf gegen Frontex
Ich kann den folgenden Text nicht umformulieren, da es sich um eine andere Sprache handelt.Athen anstatt in die Türkei seien. Die Familie sei auf dem Flug voneinander getrennt worden. Sie habe keine Fragen stellen dürfen. Auch die Behandlung der Kinder verstoße gegen die Menschenrechte, sagte ihre Anwältin Lisa-Marie Komp.
Nongovernmental organizations repeatedly accuse Frontex of not adequately protecting the rights of refugees. Last year, the former head of Frontex, Frenchman Fabrice Leggeri, resigned following serious allegations against him and his staff. The investigations primarily focused on illegal pushbacks of migrants in the Mediterranean. According to activists, executives of the Warsaw-based border protection agency intentionally covered up pushbacks by Greek border guards.
The information is well-documented according to the lawyer.
The central issue for the Court will now be whether and to what extent the EU agency bears responsibility for potential human rights violations during joint operations with border control authorities of member states. Frontex takes all reports of alleged violations of fundamental rights seriously, the agency stated. However, it always operates under the command of national authorities and does not have the ability to conduct investigations against them.
According to lawyer Komp, what is special about the case of the Syrian family is that it is well-documented: there is evidence both for the asylum application and for the fact that it was a joint operation by Frontex and Greece. „Even if we don’t win, it is a very relevant verdict because it would highlight a clear deficit in the rule of law in the EU: namely, that a powerful EU agency like Frontex will not be held accountable. In this case, it is up to politics to uphold the principles of the rule of law,“ said the lawyer.