Landmark Case Against Frontex Ends in Disappointment for Syrian Refugee and Accountability Advocates
Greek City TimesSep 06, 2023
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EU's Frontex Wins Case Over Syrian Migrant Family
Last updated Sep 07, 2023
Image credit: Wikimedia CommonsFacts
- EU’s border protection agency, Frontex, has won a landmark case as a Luxembourg-based EU court ruled that the body doesn’t owe damages to a Syrian man and his family who were deported from Greece before his asylum application was processed.
- The EU General Court stated that Frontex — formally known as the European Border and Coast Guard Agency — only provides technical and operational support to the member states, thus not being liable for any damage.
- This comes as Amsterdam lawyers Prakken d'Oliveira sought €96K ($102.9K) in material damage and €40K ($42.8K) in non-material damage on behalf of the Syrian refugee due to Frontex's alleged unlawful conduct.
- They had claimed that Frontex and Greek officials deported them to Turkey in 2016 without allowing them to apply for asylum and without an expulsion decision, just 11 days after their arrival.
- Currently living in Iraq, the Syrian family has also been ordered to pay the agency's legal fees. They will have two months to file an appeal to the decision to the European Court of Justice.
- This decision comes as the EU has seen a 30% rise in asylum claims that have put migration at the very top of the political agenda. According to new figures released this week, 519K applications were lodged in the first half of 2023.
Spin
Left narrative
This decision is a massive blow to human rights groups and asylum seekers fleeing war-torn countries. Under international law, everyone has the right to seek asylum, and Frontex’s own code requires the agency to ensure the human rights of people under its care. There needs to be more accountability for Frontex, and it cannot be allowed to deport migrants with impunity.
Right narrative
Open borders NGOs and activists are trying to undermine European sovereignty with lawsuits and smear campaigns. As thousands of migrants are being smuggled across the Mediterranean into Europe, there must be a patrol force to stop this practice. Europeans don’t want an endless stream of unvetted migration, and those abusing the migration system must be held accountable.
Nerd narrative
There's a 50% chance that at least 40% of the German population will have a migration background in 2040, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
