Fourteen MEPs are set to investigate the activities of the bloc’s border guard agency after several reports emerged unveiling that Frontex was involved in illegal migrant pushbacks and other human rights violations.
The move followed a decision by the parliament’s Civil Liberties committee on January 29 that set up a temporary working group on Frontex to further investigate the allegations of pushbacks and the body’s management practices.
The so-called Frontex Scrutiny Working Group (FSWG) includes two MEPs from all political strips, mandated to carry out a fact-finding mission on the allegations, within the first four months of its existence.
According to January’s decision, the Frontex working group will investigate the compliance of the Agency with fundamental rights, the agency’s internal management and its transparency as well as accountability towards the European Parliament.
Since the reports emerged, Frontex has come under fire, with several lawmakers calling for the resignation of the chief of the Warsaw-based agency, Fabrice Leggeri, citing that he failed to effectively investigate properly the agency’s involvement in the illegal pushbacks.
The move “marks an important step in ending the current impunity of the EU’s border agency after numerous reports of Fundamental Rights violations,” the group of The Left in the European Parliament tweeted on Monday, ahead of the first meeting of FSWG, scheduled for February 23.
Two Left MEPs will be members of this Scrutiny Working Group on @Frontex: @sirarego @ErnstCornelia.
This marks an important first step in ending the current impunity of the EU's border agency after numerous reports of #FundamentalRights violations.
First meeting: tomorrow. https://t.co/IM4bVXJTon
— The Left in the European Parliament (@Left_EU) February 22, 2021
