Migrant and Refugee Children

Frontex, the European Union’s border and coast guard agency is failing to protect people seeking safety at Europe’s borders.

It is obliged to abide by the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights in its operations.

Yet Frontex has repeatedly failed to take action after allegations of human rights abuses have been reported in areas where it is operating. 

Amongst these incidents: Human Rights Watch documented evidence that Frontex concealed Greek officials’ involvement in illegal pushbacks of migrants at sea.

In Croatia, Frontex continues to operate despite mounting evidence from Human Rights Watch and others of Croatian officials violently expelling migrants into Bosnia.

In Hungary, the agency took no action to halt the abusive treatment of asylum seekers for four years, even though violations were brought to its attention by several international organizations. It only suspended operations after an EU Court ruling.

Frontex should take. concrete action to prevent its own complicity in abuses in the places where it operates or abuses at EU borders will multiply.

For at least seven years – the Syrian government has been obstructing aid to millions of Syrians living in areas outside of its control.

This includes 4 million people who live in the northwest. They’ve been able to live thanks to UN aid that reaches them from Turkey.

But Russia could unleash a humanitarian crisis by using its UN Security Council veto to shut down that last aid corridor.

Last year it also forced the Council to close the only aid corridor from Iraq into northeast Syria where 2 million people need aid.

This seriously reduced access to medical care for hundreds of thousands of people, including much needed supplies to prevent and treat Covid19.

The UN Security Council should reauthorize aid operations from Turkey and Iraq into northern Syria.