Employees at the EU border agency Frontex were involved in covering up illegal pushbacks of migrants from Greece to Turkey in breach of their “fundamental rights”, a much-anticipated report by the bloc's anti-fraud watchdog has revealed.
The freedom of information portal FragDenStaat in Germany and media organisations Der Spiegel and Lighthouse Reports made the 120-page Olaf report public on Thursday.
Top managers at Frontex committed “serious misconduct and other irregularities” in covering up the incidents, and not investigating them or handling them correctly, the report found, but names were redacted.
“In doing so, they hindered the capacity of Frontex to fully comply with its responsibilities, namely ensuring the protection and promotion of fundamental rights,” the report read.
Frontex co-ordinates search-and-rescue and border interception operations on behalf of the 27 EU countries.
Pushbacks, the forcible return of people across an international border without an assessment of their rights to apply for asylum or other protection, breach international and EU law.
Olaf pored over information from open sources and media reports, sought documents from Frontex and the European Commission and interviewed 20 witnesses to investigate accusations of possible involvement or covering up of pushbacks and accusations of misconduct or irregularities.
“Olaf concludes, based on the evidence collected during the investigation, that the allegations are proven,” the report read.
Dramatic clifftop rescue after migrants’ boat sinks in Greek waters - video
There was no immediate comment from Frontex or Greek authorities on the report but both have denied any wrongdoing.
This year Frontex executive director Fabrice Leggeri resigned after the Olaf report, which was concluded in February, as well as repeated media investigations that accused the agency of involvement in pushbacks.
The report details how pushback accusations — which include reports of migrants being put in life rafts and left adrift at sea — and evidence of them were mishandled, often not reported or not investigated according to Frontex’s rules.
Frontex officers may also have failed to report pushbacks because of fear of repercussions from Greece, the report said.
In one case, the report said the EU border agency’s surveillance plane flew away from the scene of an alleged pushback “to avoid witnessing incidents in the Aegean Sea".
On August 5, 2020, a member of Frontex reported his concerns in an email after a Frontex plane witnessed Greek authorities forcing a flimsy migrant boat back into Turkish waters.
“Towing an overcrowded, fragile boat in the night towards the open sea is a situation that can seriously endanger the lives of the passengers,” the email said.
“Our aircraft was immediately instructed to fly away from the scene by the Hellenic coastguard expert.”
EU investigators also said Frontex shared incorrect or biased information with EU institutions, including members of the European Commission and Parliament, who are responsible for holding the agency accountable, as well as Olaf investigators.
“I welcome that the Olaf report is finally public, as it should have been from the very beginning,” said Cornelia Ernst, a European politician in the Parliament’s Left group, who confirmed the report’s authenticity.
“It proves once again black on white what we have been saying for many years: Frontex is systematically involved in human rights violations and their cover up at the EU’s external borders."
Other politicians were less critical.
“There was misconduct within the agency concerning three people,” said Lena Dupont, a politician with the European People’s Party.
“The way the agency was structured by them was not helpful. The way they dealt with the allegations was also not helpful.”
Ms Dupont described Mr Leggeri’s resignation as the “correct” thing to do and welcomed the structural changes taking place at Frontex to address the issues.
Greece granted Mr Leggeri a state award in January, thanking him for helping the country to lower the rate of immigrants.
The award was presented by Greek Migration Minister Notis Mitarachi, who was mocked on Thursday by a prominent Greek politician.
“Now with the leak of the entire damning report, everyone can now understand what was going on and who has been covering it up,” said Kostas Arvanitis, a left-wing member of the European Parliament.
The Olaf report raises questions about how Frontex will continue operating in Greece.
According to its own regulations, the agency’s leader should suspend or terminate its activity if they see “violations of fundamental rights or international protection obligations that are of a serious nature or are likely to persist".
Last week, front-Lex, a non-government organisation challenging EU migration policies, filed a case at the EU Court of Justice in Luxembourg seeking the immediate termination of Frontex operations in Greece based on the findings of the report.
“As long as Frontex is there, the Greek government has carte blanche to continue throwing migrants in the water to drown,” front-Lex lawyers Omer Shatz and Iftach Cohen told AP.
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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The lowdown
Bohemian Rhapsody
Director: Bryan Singer
Starring: Rami Malek, Lucy Boynton, Gwilym Lee
Rating: 3/5
VEZEETA PROFILE
Date started: 2012
Founder: Amir Barsoum
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: HealthTech / MedTech
Size: 300 employees
Funding: $22.6 million (as of September 2018)
Investors: Technology Development Fund, Silicon Badia, Beco Capital, Vostok New Ventures, Endeavour Catalyst, Crescent Enterprises’ CE-Ventures, Saudi Technology Ventures and IFC
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
The drill
Recharge as needed, says Mat Dryden: “We try to make it a rule that every two to three months, even if it’s for four days, we get away, get some time together, recharge, refresh.” The couple take an hour a day to check into their businesses and that’s it.
Stick to the schedule, says Mike Addo: “We have an entire wall known as ‘The Lab,’ covered with colour-coded Post-it notes dedicated to our joint weekly planner, content board, marketing strategy, trends, ideas and upcoming meetings.”
Be a team, suggests Addo: “When training together, you have to trust in each other’s abilities. Otherwise working out together very quickly becomes one person training the other.”
Pull your weight, says Thuymi Do: “To do what we do, there definitely can be no lazy member of the team.”
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
LIVING IN...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Company%20Profile
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Usain Bolt's World Championships record
2007 Osaka
200m Silver
4x100m relay Silver
2009 Berlin
100m Gold
200m Gold
4x100m relay Gold
2011 Daegu
100m Disqualified in final for false start
200m Gold
4x100m relay Gold
2013 Moscow
100m Gold
200m Gold
4x100m relay Gold
2015 Beijing
100m Gold
200m Gold
4x100m relay Gold
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Company%20Profile
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The biog
Name: Mariam Ketait
Emirate: Dubai
Hobbies: I enjoy travelling, experiencing new things, painting, reading, flying, and the French language
Favourite quote: "Be the change you wish to see" - unknown
Favourite activity: Connecting with different cultures
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
Baby Driver
Director: Edgar Wright
Starring: Ansel Elgort, Kevin Spacey, Jamie Foxx, Lily James
Three and a half stars
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
The five pillars of Islam
Tenet
Director: Christopher Nolan
Stars: John David Washington, Robert Pattinson, Elizabeth Debicki, Dimple Kapadia, Michael Caine, Kenneth Branagh
Rating: 5/5
What is hepatitis?
Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver, which can lead to fibrosis (scarring), cirrhosis or liver cancer.
There are 5 main hepatitis viruses, referred to as types A, B, C, D and E.
Hepatitis C is mostly transmitted through exposure to infective blood. This can occur through blood transfusions, contaminated injections during medical procedures, and through injecting drugs. Sexual transmission is also possible, but is much less common.
People infected with hepatitis C experience few or no symptoms, meaning they can live with the virus for years without being diagnosed. This delay in treatment can increase the risk of significant liver damage.
There are an estimated 170 million carriers of Hepatitis C around the world.
The virus causes approximately 399,000 fatalities each year worldwide, according to WHO.
Isle of Dogs
Director: Wes Anderson
Starring: Bryan Cranston, Liev Schreiber, Ed Norton, Greta Gerwig, Bill Murray, Jeff Goldblum, Scarlett Johansson
Three stars
The specs: 2017 GMC Sierra 1500 Denali
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Specs
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Key facilities
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- Premier League-standard football pitch
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- 600-seat auditorium
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How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
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House-hunting
Top 10 locations for inquiries from US house hunters, according to Rightmove
- Edinburgh, Scotland
- Westminster, London
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- Tower Hamlets, London
Who has been sanctioned?
Daniella Weiss and Nachala
Described as 'the grandmother of the settler movement', she has encouraged the expansion of settlements for decades. The 79 year old leads radical settler movement Nachala, whose aim is for Israel to annex Gaza and the occupied West Bank, where it helps settlers built outposts.
Harel Libi & Libi Construction and Infrastructure
Libi has been involved in threatening and perpetuating acts of aggression and violence against Palestinians. His firm has provided logistical and financial support for the establishment of illegal outposts.
Zohar Sabah
Runs a settler outpost named Zohar’s Farm and has previously faced charges of violence against Palestinians. He was indicted by Israel’s State Attorney’s Office in September for allegedly participating in a violent attack against Palestinians and activists in the West Bank village of Muarrajat.
Coco’s Farm and Neria’s Farm
These are illegal outposts in the West Bank, which are at the vanguard of the settler movement. According to the UK, they are associated with people who have been involved in enabling, inciting, promoting or providing support for activities that amount to “serious abuse”.
Globalization and its Discontents Revisited
Joseph E. Stiglitz
W. W. Norton & Company
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
BMW M5 specs
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Power: 727hp
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Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
Freezer tips
- Always make sure food is completely cool before freezing.
- If you’re cooking in large batches, divide into either family-sized or individual portions to freeze.
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- The easiest and safest way to defrost items such as the stews and sauces mentioned is to do so in the fridge for several hours or overnight.
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
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Jurassic%20Park
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AUSTRALIA SQUAD
Steve Smith (capt), David Warner, Cameron Bancroft, Jackson Bird, Pat Cummins, Peter Handscomb, Josh Hazlewood, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Shaun Marsh, Tim Paine, Chadd Sayers, Mitchell Starc.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
