121-511: Operation Triton was an operation conducted by Frontex , the European Union 's border security agency. The operation, under Italian control, began on 1 November 2014 and ended on 1 February 2018 when it was replaced by Operation Themis . It involved voluntary contributions from 15 other European nations (both EU member states and non-members). Voluntary contributors to Operation Triton included Croatia, Iceland, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Germany,
242-701: A Hellenic Air Force announcement, the incident occurred as the Frontex helicopter—identified as an Italian-made Agusta A109 —was patrolling in Greek airspace near the small isle of Farmakonisi , which lies on a favourite route used by migrant smugglers ferrying migrants into Greece and the EU from the opposite Turkish coastline. Frontex officials stated that they simply ignored the Turkish warnings as they were not in Turkish airspace and continued their duties. Frontex later took photographs of
363-566: A Russian border guard admitted that the Russian Federal Security Service was enabling migrants to enter Finland. Because asylum seekers are usually required to be physically present in the EU country where they wish to request asylum, and there are few formal ways to allow them to reach Europe to do so, many paid smugglers for advice, logistical help and transportation through Europe, especially for sea crossings. Human traffickers charged $ 1,000 to $ 1,500 (€901 – €1352) for
484-556: A far-right political surge, the town remained peaceful and locals largely accepting. By 2020, most of the arrivals had moved on to bigger German cities for work or study; a small number settled in Sumte permanently. In Berlin, authorities housed refugees in temporary accommodations at the site of the decommissioned Tempelhof Airport , then developed a program of container housing known as Tempohomes, followed by Modular Accommodations for Refugees (Modulare Unterkünfte für Flüchtlinge); many of
605-471: A fence that had been under construction for several months, forcing migrants to pass through Croatia and Slovenia instead. Croatia tried to force them back into Hungary, which responded with military force. Croatian and Hungarian leaders each blamed each other for the situation and engaged in a bitter back-and-forth about what to do about the tens of thousands of stranded people. Three days later, Croatia likewise closed its border with Serbia to avoid becoming
726-527: A Frontex mission had violated Turkish airspace west of Söke . On 7 December 2020, the EU's anti-fraud watchdog, OLAF, raided the offices of Frontex Executive Director Fabrice Leggeri , as well as his head of Cabinet Thibauld de La Haye Jousselin as part of an investigation into allegations of staff harassment, misconduct and migrant pushbacks. According to an internal document seen by the Greek Newspaper Ekathimerini, Leggeri "actively resisted"
847-704: A UK-financed fence was built along the A-216 highway in Calais . At the camp near Calais, known as the Jungle , riots broke out when authorities began demolishing the illegally constructed campsite on 29 January 2015. Amid the protests, which included hunger strikes, thousands of refugees living in the camp were relocated to France's "first international-standard refugee camp" at the La Liniere refugee camp in Grande-Synthe which replaced
968-523: A budget of €18 million. A section of northeastern Croatia is believed to contain up to 60,000 unexploded land mines from the Croatian War of Independence in the 1990s. Refugees were feared to be at risk of unknowingly detonating some of these minefields as they crossed the area. However, there were no reported cases of this happening in 2015 or 2016. The number of people making the considerably more dangerous sea journey from northern Africa to Italy
1089-480: A catch-all label like 'migrants', and we should use them wherever possible." Al Jazeera , on the other hand, expressly avoided the term migrant, arguing it was inaccurate and risked "giving weight to those who want only to see economic migrants ". Some have taken issue with the framing of the phenomenon as a "crisis." Political scientist Cas Mudde has argued that the term reflects "more a matter of personal judgment than objective condition," writing that "[t]he EU had
1210-509: A consequence, the public showed anxiety towards the sudden influx of immigrants, often expressing concerns over a perceived danger to European values. Political polarization increased, confidence in the European Union fell, and many countries tightened their asylum laws. Right-wing populist parties capitalized on public anxiety and became significantly more popular in many countries. There was an increase in protests regarding immigration and
1331-499: A deal was announced. Turkey agreed to significantly increase border security at its shores and take back all future irregular entrants into Greece (and thereby the EU) from Turkey. In return, the EU would pay Turkey 6 billion euros (around US$ 7 billion). In addition, for every Syrian sent back from Greece, the EU would accept one registered Syrian refugee living in Turkey who had never tried to enter
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#17330862020001452-644: A fully-fledged European Border and Coast Guard Agency. On 18 December 2015, the European Council roundly supported the proposal, and after a vote by the European Parliament , the European Border and Coast Guard was officially launched on 6 October 2016 at the Bulgarian external border with Turkey. In November 2019, the remit and resources of the agency were extended. Frontex's budget has increased from
1573-622: A life-saving operation" and said that "failure to extend Triton’s operational area will fatally undermine today's commitment." On 14 June 2016, the Dutch frigate HNLMS Van Amstel rescued 193 migrants, including 40 women and 16 children, who had been at sea for a week. The migrants planned to travel from Egypt to Sicily but panic erupted when the old ship they were on started showing signs of sinking. The Dutch frigate safely escorted them to an Italian harbour. Frontex The European Border and Coast Guard Agency , commonly known as Frontex ,
1694-552: A limit of 2,500 people per day, which initially stranded thousands of migrants in Croatia, Serbia and North Macedonia . In November, Slovenia began erecting temporary fences along the border to direct the flow of people to formal border crossings. Several countries, such as Hungary, Slovenia and Austria, authorized their armies to secure their borders or repel migrants; some passed legislation specifically to give armed forces more powers. EU officials generally reacted with dismay at
1815-399: A majority of the unemployed being in the age range 15–24. This was reflected in the age range of the emigrants, roughly 50% of whom were youth between the age of 15–24. Detected illegal border crossings to the EU from Kosovo numbered 22,069 in 2014 and 23,793 in 2015. The anti-government protests of 2015 coincided with a surge in migrant numbers. The Syrian civil war began in response to
1936-509: A massive buildup of people had formed at the station. On 4 September, several thousand set off to make the 150 km journey towards Austria on foot, at which point the Hungarian government relented and no longer tried to stop them. In an effort to force the Austrian and German governments' hands, Hungary chartered buses to the Austrian border for both those walking and those who had stayed behind at
2057-455: A matter of debate. While announcing the future of Frontex during his State of the Union speech in 2015, the then European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker called for "a more efficient" border management and stated that "there is not enough Europe in this Union and there is not enough union in this Union." Although the member states still retain the primary responsibility for border management,
2178-823: A member state] "is rendered ineffective to such an extent that it risks jeopardising the functioning of the Schengen area". Frontex was established in 2004 as the European Agency for the Management of Operational Cooperation at the External Borders and is primarily responsible for coordinating border control efforts. In response to the European migrant crisis of 2015–2016, the European Commission proposed on 15 December 2015 to extend Frontex's mandate and to transform it into
2299-630: A minor role. Some also crossed via the Central Mediterranean Sea. This path is a much longer and considerably more dangerous journey than the relatively short trip across the Aegean. As a result, this route was responsible for a large majority of migrant deaths in 2015, even though it was far less used. An estimated 2,889 died in the Central Mediterranean; 731 died in the Aegean sea. The EU Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) uses
2420-611: A network of Frontex Liaison Officers in non-EU countries, including in countries of the Eastern Partnership , the Western Balkans , and West Africa . The Agency cooperates with numerous countries beyond the EU. As of 2024, Frontex has concluded working arrangements with the authorities of 18 partners: Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, Cape Verde, Georgia, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, Nigeria, North Macedonia, Russia, Serbia, Turkey, Ukraine, and
2541-477: A reserve of European border guards and technical equipment. The agency may purchases its own flagged vehicles. The Member States where this equipment is registered (bigger equipment such as patrol vessels, air crafts, etc.) are obliged to put it at the Agency's disposal whenever needed. This enables the Agency to rapidly deploy the necessary technical equipment in border operations. A rapid reserve pool of border guards and
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#17330862020002662-611: A significant number of people from Afghanistan , Pakistan , Iraq , Nigeria , Eritrea , and the Balkans . The increase in asylum seekers has been attributed to factors such as the escalation of various wars in the Middle East and ISIL 's territorial and military dominance in the region due to the Arab Winter , as well as Lebanon, Jordan, and Egypt ceasing to accept Syrian asylum seekers. The EU attempted to enact some measures to address
2783-580: A stark change to the previous year, when most refugees and migrants landed in Italy from northern Africa. In fact, in the first half of 2015, Italy was, as in previous years, the most common landing point for refugees entering the EU, especially the southern Sicilian island of Lampedusa . By June, however, Greece overtook Italy in the number of arrivals and became the starting point of a flow of refugees and migrants moving through Balkan countries to Northern European countries, particularly Germany and Sweden. By
2904-514: A symbol of her government's refugee policy. Within ten days of Germany's decision to accept the refugees in Hungary, the sudden influx had overwhelmed many of the major refugee processing and accommodation centres in Germany and the country began enacting border controls and allowing people to file asylum applications directly at the Austrian border. Although Austria also accepted some asylum seekers, for
3025-432: A technical equipment pool is at the disposal of the agency, intending to remove the shortages of staff and equipment for the Agency's operations. According to a 2021 Guardian investigation, EU member states with Frontex complicity in some cases have been responsible for pushback of almost 40,000 asylum seekers, resulting in 2,000 deaths, in violation of EU and international law . Frontex denies taking part in pushbacks;
3146-505: A time the country effectively became a distribution centre to Germany, slowing and regulating their transit into Germany and providing temporary housing, food and health care. On some days, Austria took in up to 10,000 Germany-bound migrants arriving from Slovenia and Hungary. Germany's imposition of border controls had a domino effect on countries to Germany's southeast, as Austria and Slovakia successively enacted their own border controls. Hungary closed its border with Serbia entirely with
3267-465: A transit country. Slovenia kept its borders open, although it did limit the flow of people, resulting in occasionally violent clashes with police. In October, Hungary also closed its border with Croatia, making Slovenia the only remaining way to reach Austria and Germany. Croatia reopened its own border to Serbia and together with Slovenia began permitting migrants to pass through, providing buses and temporary accommodation en route. Slovenia did impose
3388-457: A visa from being allowed on aircraft, boats, or trains entering the Schengen Area, and caused them to resort to smugglers. Humanitarian visas are generally not given to refugees who want to apply for asylum. In September 2015, Europol estimated there were 30,000 suspected migrant smugglers operating in and around Europe. By the end of 2016, this number had increased to 55,000. 63 per cent of
3509-545: Is a border security operation conducted by Frontex, the European Union 's border security agency. The operation, under Italian control, began on 1 November 2014 and involves voluntary contributions from 15 other European nations (both EU member states and non-members). Current voluntary contributors to Operation Triton are Croatia, Iceland, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Germany, the Netherlands, France, Spain, Ireland, Portugal, Austria, Switzerland, Romania, Poland, Lithuania, Malta and
3630-593: Is an agency of the European Union headquartered in Warsaw , Poland. In coordination with the border and coast guards of member states, it exercises border control of the European Schengen Area , a task within the area of freedom, security and justice domain. Formally, the Agency's remit is to "support Member States on the ground in their efforts to protect the external borders"; it does not have authority to act otherwise unless "external border control" [by
3751-615: Is illegal to drive from Russia to Norway without a permit, and crossing on foot is prohibited, some used a legal loophole and made the crossing by bicycle. A year later in 2016, Norway built a short 200 m fence at the Storskog border crossing, although it was viewed as a mostly symbolic measure. Some observers argued that the Russian government facilitated the influx in an attempt to warn European leaders against maintaining sanctions imposed after Russia's annexation of Crimea . In January 2016,
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3872-550: Is intended that the new European Border and Coast Guard Agency will act in a supporting role for members in need of assistance, as well as to coordinate overall border management of Europe's external borders. Securing and patrolling of the external borders of the European Union (EU, in practice the Schengen Area including the Schengen Associated Countries as well as those EU Member States which have not yet joined
3993-412: Is not an expensive lifeguard service." Frontex operations staff were made to understand that "reporting pushbacks involving Frontex personnel is not a route to popularity or promotion" within the agency. The paper also reported that no provision had yet been made for the new border guard "Standing Corps" to carry firearms legally over EU borders. In January 2021, EU Commissioner Ylva Johansson called for
4114-491: Is the leading component of the agency, controlling the personal, financial, and organisational structure, as well as initiating operative tasks in annual work programmes. Additionally, the Board appoints the executive director. The first director was Ilkka Laitinen . According to its third amended Budget 2015, the agency had in that year 336 employees. Additionally, the agency could make use of 78 employees which had been seconded from
4235-467: Is under Italian control and focuses on border security within 30 nautical miles of the Italian shore. It began on 1 November 2014 and involves 15 other European nations volunteering services, both EU member states and non-members. As of 2015 voluntary contributors are Iceland, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Germany, the Netherlands, France, Spain, Portugal, Austria, Switzerland, Romania, Poland, Lithuania, Malta and
4356-511: The 1951 Refugee Convention . According to European Council on Refugees and Exiles (ECRE) and British Refugee Council in written evidence submitted to the UK House of Lords inquiry, Frontex fails to demonstrate adequate consideration of international and European asylum and human rights law including the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and EU law in respect of access to asylum and
4477-519: The Arab Spring protests of March 2011, which quickly escalated into a civil uprising . By May 2011, thousands of people had fled the country and the first refugee camps opened in Turkey. In March 2012, the UNHCR appointed a Regional Coordinator for Syrian Refugees, recognising the growing concerns surrounding the crisis. As the conflict descended into full civil war, outside powers , notably Iran , Turkey ,
4598-527: The Balkans and re-entering the EU through Hungary or Croatia . Hungary was required by EU law to register them as asylum seekers and attempted to prevent them from traveling on to other EU countries. At the same time, Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán began using fear of immigration as a domestic political campaign issue and stated his opposition to accepting long-term refugees. By August 2015, Hungary housed about 150,000 refugees in makeshift camps . Many had little desire to stay in Hungary; due to
4719-615: The Canary Islands in May 2007 and armed border force officers were deployed to the Greece–Turkey border in October 2010. The Commission was prompted to take swift action due to the immigration crisis of 2015, which brought to the forefront the need to improve the security of the external borders of the union. This crisis has also demonstrated that Frontex, which had a limited mandate in supporting
4840-689: The Central Mediterranean route . On 23 February 2012, Frontex signed a working arrangement with Armenia . Representatives of Frontex met with Artur Baghdasaryan , former head of the Security Council of Armenia . Areas of mutual cooperation and promoting peace and security in the South Caucasus region was discussed. The Agency approved a mandate to send liaison officers and launch joint operations with neighbouring third countries, including operating on their territory. The Agency has developed
4961-640: The German office suspended the Dublin Regulation for Syrians. Interpreting this to mean that Germany would begin accepting larger numbers of refugees many immigrants attempted to reach Germany from Hungary and southeastern Europe. They were met with a warm reception from the German crowds. On 1 September, Hungarian government closed outbound rail traffic from Budapest's Keleti station , which many refugees were using to travel to Austria and Germany. Within days,
Operation Triton - Misplaced Pages Continue
5082-572: The United States and Russia funded and armed different sides of the conflict and sometimes intervened directly. By March 2013, the total number of Syrian refugees reached 1,000,000, the vast majority of whom were internally displaced within Syria or had fled to Turkey or Lebanon ; smaller numbers had sought refuge in Iraq and Egypt . Afghan refugees constitute the second-largest refugee population in
5203-634: The 1950s, had little mandate to facilitate coordination between member states' border and coast guard authorities. Milestones towards coordination on foreign, security, border and asylum policy matters include the signing of the Schengen Agreement in 1985, the establishment of the European Union in 1993 with the introduction of the Common Foreign and Security Policy pillar , as well as the Amsterdam Treaty 's consolidation of Schengen rules within
5324-500: The 25-minute boat ride from Bodrum , Turkey to Kos . An onward journey, not necessarily relying on smugglers, to Germany was estimated to cost €3,000 – €4,000 and €10,000 – €12,000 to Britain. Airplane tickets directly from Turkey to Germany or Britain would have been far cheaper and safer, but the EU requires airlines flying into the Schengen Area to check that passengers have a visa or are exempted from carrying one ("carriers' responsibility"). This prevented would-be migrants without
5445-408: The Agency a broader mandate by extending its powers in the following five areas: standing corps, EUROSUR , return operations, antenna offices, and extended cooperation with the third countries. Ever since Frontex was transformed into the Agency in 2016, the broader mandate has been deemed controversial, and the issue of whether the EU or the member state were competent in border management has also been
5566-443: The Agency now has a broader mandate to initiate its own operations. Hence, with the growing executive powers of the Agency, the EU has a stronger role in the issue of border management. However, concerns regarding human rights violations are still being voiced, in particular, due to the broader executive powers of the Agency under the revised regulation. The present agency is not a new body. It does not replace Frontex and it retains
5687-581: The Agency was more than doubled between 2015 and 2020. "Joint Operation Poseidon" began in 2006, after Greece asked for surveillance by Frontex of the country's sea and land borders between the EU-member Greece and Turkey. The Joint Operation is divided into two branches, the Poseidon Sea Operation which oversees the sea borders of the EU with Turkey in the Mediterranean and Aegean seas, and
5808-488: The Agency. Reports have surfaced of video footage of FRONTEX violating the law, by helping the Greek coast guard block and push back asylum-seekers and migrants who have reached Greek territorial waters instead of rescuing them, which is their obligation under EU laws and regulations. Despite a 2012 European Court of Human Rights ruling that refugees should not be returned to Libya, due to risk of torture and violence, Frontex
5929-685: The EU framework in 1999. Frontex, then officially the European Agency for the Management of Operational Cooperation at the External Borders of the Member States of the European Union , was established by Council of Regulation (EC) 2007–2004. It began work on 3 October 2005 and was the first EU agency to be based in one of the new EU member states from 2004. Frontex' mission is to help European Union member states implement EU rules on external border controls and to coordinate cooperation between member states in external border management. While it remains
6050-498: The EU illegally, up to a total of 72,000. If the process succeeded in dramatically reducing irregular immigration to a maximum of 6,000 people per month, the EU would set up a resettlement scheme by which it would regularly resettle Syrian refugees registered in Turkey and upon vetting and recommendation by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). The EU also promised to institute visa-free travel to
6171-508: The EU in a year. News media sometimes misrepresent these figures as given by Frontex. Because the refugees entering Europe in 2015 were predominantly from the Middle East , the vast majority first entered the EU by crossing the Aegean Sea from Turkey to Greece by boat; Turkey's land border has been inaccessible to migrants since a border fence was constructed there in 2012. A number of Greek islands are less than 6 km (4 mi) from
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#17330862020006292-401: The EU ombudsman to open an inquiry. European migrant crisis The 2015 European migrant crisis was a period of significantly increased movement of refugees and migrants into Europe, namely from the Middle East . An estimated 1.3 million people came to the continent to request asylum , the most in a single year since World War II . They were mostly Syrians , but also included
6413-444: The EU. On 18 December 2015, the European Council roundly supported the proposal, which was then subjected to the ordinary legislative procedure . The Border and Coast Guard was officially launched on 6 October 2016 at the Bulgarian external border with Turkey. On 4 December 2019, a regulation amending the mandate of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency ( Regulation 2019/1896 ) entered into force. The revised regulation gave
6534-553: The Frontex Risk Analysis Network (FRAN), via which the Frontex staff is cooperating with security experts from the Member States. The latest FRAN report as of 2013 stated that 24 805 illegal border-crossing were detected. In the Eastern Mediterranean area specifically at the land border between Greece and Turkey, illegal border-crossings were down by nearly 70% compared to the second quarter of 2012, but up in
6655-550: The Mediterranean Sea in 2015. A single shipwreck near Lampedusa in April accounted for around 800 deaths. Apart from drownings, the deadliest incident occurred on 27 August 2015, when 71 people were found dead in an unventilated food truck near Vienna . Eleven of the smugglers responsible were later arrested and charged with murder and homicide in Hungary. The charges and trial took place in Hungary as authorities determined that
6776-502: The Mediterranean Sea. Fabrice Leggeri, the head of Frontex, dismissed turning Triton into a search and rescue operation, saying it would "support and fuel the business of traffickers". Instead he recommended to expand air surveillance of the Maltese waters "anticipate more disasters. On 12 December 2015 it was reported that a newly founded asylum seeker reception center in Moria, Lesbos, Greece
6897-671: The Member States to face current or upcoming challenges at their external borders will be established. The Agency is able to launch joint operations, including the use of drones when necessary. The European Space Agency 's Earth observation system Copernicus provides the new Agency with almost real time satellite surveillance capabilities alongside the current Eurosur border surveillance system. Frontex regularly releases reports analyzing events related to border control, irregular border crossing and different forms of cross-border crime. The general task of assessing these risks has been laid out in Frontex founding regulation, according to which
7018-448: The Member States to secure their external borders, had insufficient staff and equipment, and lacked the authority to conduct border management operations and search-and-rescue efforts. The new Agency was proposed by the European Commission on 15 December 2015 to strengthen Frontex, widely seen as being ineffective in the wake of the European migrant crisis . Support for the proposal has come from France and Germany. The limitations of
7139-615: The Member States. The merits of return decisions remain the exclusive responsibility of the Member State, with the appeal against this return decision having to be taken through the respective Member State. In recent years Frontex has procured some equipment of its own. It also charters some airplanes used mainly for surveillance around the Mediterranean Sea . The EU's precursors, the European Communities which were founded in
7260-404: The Netherlands, France, Spain, Portugal, Austria, Switzerland, Romania, Poland, Lithuania and Malta. The operation was undertaken after Italy ended Operation Mare Nostrum , which had become politically unpopular and costed the Italian government €9 million per month for an operation that lasted 12 months. The Italian government had requested support from the other EU member states, but the request
7381-554: The Poseidon Land Operation which oversees the southeastern land border of the EU with Turkey on the Evros river . The operation turned permanent and has been expanded subsequently on the year 2011. Near the end of 2015 this operation was replaced by Poseidon Rapid Intervention . "Joint Operation Hermes" began on 20 February 2011, after Italy asked for Frontex surveillance of the Mediterranean Sea between Italy and North Africa,
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#17330862020007502-413: The Schengen Area but are bound to do so) is a shared responsibility of the Agency and the national authorities. Launched in 2021, the European Border and Coast Guard standing corps is the EU's first uniformed service. By 2027, the corps is planned to number 10 000 personnel. The corps is composed of agency and member states' officers, who support and work under the command of the national authorities of
7623-538: The Tempohomes and MUF are still in use as of 2022, and some have begun housing Ukrainian refugees as well. Because the vast majority of refugees arriving in Europe in 2015 passed through Turkey, the country's cooperation was seen as central to efforts to stem the flow of people and prevent refugees from attempting to make dangerous sea crossings. There was also a recognition that it would be unfair to expect Turkey to shoulder
7744-565: The Turkish Coast Guard escorting illegal immigrants towards Greek waters and the photos accompanied by written evidence were submitted to EU authorities. Another incident took place in October 2009 in the airspace above the eastern Aegean sea, off the island of Lesbos . On 20 November 2009, the Turkish General Staff issued a press note alleging that an Estonian Border Guard aircraft Let L-410 UVP taking off from Kos on
7865-447: The Turkish coast, such as Chios , Kos , Lesbos , Leros , Kastellorizo , Agathonisi , Farmakonisi , Rhodes , Samos and Symi . At one point, incoming refugees on some of these islands outnumbered locals. A small number of people (34,000 or 3% of the total) used Turkey's land borders with Greece or Bulgaria. From Greece, most tried to make their way toward through the Balkans to Central and Northern Europe . This represented
7986-467: The United Kingdom. The operation was undertaken after Italy ended Operation Mare Nostrum , which had become too costly for a single country to fund; it was costing the Italian government €9 million per month for an operation that lasted 12 months. The Italian government had requested additional funds from the other EU member states but they did not offer the requested support. "Joint Operation Triton"
8107-541: The United Kingdom. The operation's assets consist of two surveillance aircraft , three ships and seven teams of staff who gather intelligence and conduct screening and process identification. In 2014, its budget was estimated at €2.9 million per month. After the April 2015 Libya migrant shipwrecks , in which about 800 refugees died, EU ministers proposed on 20 April 2015, to double the size of Operation Triton and to widen its mandate to conduct search and rescue operations across
8228-538: The United States. The agency has also signed a working arrangement with the Commonwealth of Independent States Border Troop Commanders Council. The Border and Coast Guard has a supportive capacity to repatriate immigrants residing illegally in the union and is responsible for the coordination of return operations. The decision about who should be returned is always taken by the judicial or administrative authorities of
8349-402: The agency shall "carry out risk analyses [...] in order to provide the Community and the Member States with adequate information to allow for appropriate measures to be taken or to tackle identified threats and risks with a view to improving the integrated management of external borders". Frontex's key institution with respect to intelligence and risk assessment is its Risk Analysis Unit (RAU) and
8470-454: The arrivals, as they were technically required to do according to EU rules. In early September, Denmark temporarily closed rail and road border crossings with Germany. After initial uncertainty surrounding the rules, Denmark allowed most of the people wishing to travel on to Sweden to do so. In the five weeks following 6 September, approximately 28,800 refugees and migrants crossed the Danish borders, 3,500 of whom applied for asylum in Denmark;
8591-559: The arriving refugees. Germany would ultimately accept most of the refugees after the government decided to temporarily suspend its enforcement of the Dublin Regulation . Germany would receive over 440,000 asylum applications (0.5% of the population). Other countries that took in a significant number of refugees include Hungary (174,000; 1.8%), Sweden (156,000; 1.6%) and Austria (88,000; 1.0%). The crisis had significant political consequences in Europe. The influx of migrants caused significant demographic and cultural changes in these countries. As
8712-399: The authorisation to carry out risk analysis and to monitor the flows towards and within the EU. The risk analysis includes cross-border crime and terrorism, process personal data of persons suspected to be involved in acts of terrorism and cooperate with other Union agencies and international organisations on the prevention of terrorism. A mandatory vulnerability assessments of the capacities of
8833-495: The border closures, warning that they undermined the mutual trust and freedom of movement that the bloc was founded on and risked returning to a pre-1990s arrangement of costly border controls and mistrust. The European Commission warned EU members against steps that contravene EU treaties and urged members like Hungary to find other ways to cope with an influx of refugees and migrants. As winter set in, refugee numbers decreased, although they were still many times higher than in
8954-475: The budget of Operation Triton to €120 million for 2015–2016. EU leaders claimed that this would allow for the same operational capabilities as Operation Mare Nostrum had had in 2013–2014. As part of the agreement, the United Kingdom agreed to send HMS Bulwark , two naval patrol boats and three helicopters to join the Operation. Amnesty International immediately criticized the EU response as "a face-saving not
9075-486: The circulation of the white nationalist conspiracy theory of the Great Replacement . However, despite the political consequences, the 2015 migrant crisis had a low but positive impact to the German economy. News organisations and academic sources use both migrant crisis and refugee crisis to refer to the 2015 events, sometimes interchangeably. Some argued that the word migrant was pejorative or inaccurate in
9196-529: The claims are currently under investigation by EU anti-fraud agency OLAF . According to the European Commission the European Border and Coast Guard "will bring together a European Border and Coast Guard Agency built from Frontex and the Member States’ authorities responsible for border management" with day-to-day management of external border regions remaining the responsibility of member states. It
9317-497: The context of people fleeing war and persecution because it implies most are emigrating voluntarily rather than being forced to leave their homes. The BBC and The Washington Post argued against the stigmatization of the word, contending that it simply refers to anyone moving from one country to another. The Guardian said while it would not advise against using the word outright, "'refugees', ' displaced people ' and ' asylum seekers ' ... are more useful and accurate terms than
9438-451: The country in they are deployed in. The future officers who are recruited do not necessarily need prior law enforcement experience, and undergo a year of training organised by the agency. Tasks performed by the standing corps: The corps may also work in non-EU countries that have signed a 'status agreement' with the European Commission, such as Albania, Montenegro or Serbia. A monitoring and risk analysis centre will be established, with
9559-488: The deaths had occurred there. The Mafia Capitale investigation revealed that the Italian Mafia profited from the migrant crisis and exploited refugees. The first half of 2015 saw around 230,000 people enter the EU. The most common points of entry were Italy and Greece. From there, arrivals either applied for asylum directly or attempted to travel to Northern and Western European countries, mostly by traveling through
9680-790: The deaths of 20,000 people and displaced at least 2 million since 2009. Around 75,000 Nigerians requested asylum in the EU in 2015 and 2016, around 3 per cent of the total. In all, over 1 million refugees and migrants crossed the Mediterranean (mostly the Aegean Sea ) in 2015, three to four times more than the previous year. 80% were fleeing from wars in Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan. About 85% of sea arrivals were in Greece (via Turkey) and 15% in Italy (via northern Africa ). The European Union's external land borders (e.g., in Greece, Bulgaria or Finland ) played only
9801-464: The end of Operation Mare Nostrum . The New York Times reported that early 2015 saw a 1600% increase in the number of migrants drowning while attempting to cross the Mediterranean as compared with the same period in early 2014. In 2015, the Croatian warship Andrija Mohorovičić joined the rescue efforts. On 20 April, following the April 2015 Libya migrant shipwrecks , EU ministers proposed to double
9922-576: The end of 2015, about 80% of migrants had landed in Greece, compared to only 15% in Italy. Greece appealed to the European Union for assistance; the UNCHR European Director Vincent Cochetel said facilities for migrants on the Greek islands were "totally inadequate" and the islands were in "total chaos". Frontex's Operation Poseidon, aimed at patrolling the Aegean Sea , was underfunded and undermanned, with only 11 coastal patrol vessels, one ship, two helicopters, two aircraft, and
10043-459: The financial and logistical burden of hosting and integrating millions of refugees on its own. In 2015, the European Commission began negotiating an agreement with Turkey to close its borders to Greece in exchange for money and diplomatic favours. In March 2016, after months of tense negotiations during which Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan repeatedly threatened to open Turkey's borders and "flood" Europe with migrants to extract concessions,
10164-629: The financial resources to deal with even these record numbers of asylum seekers, although for years it had neglected to build an infrastructure to properly take care of them." The most significant root causes of the wave of refugees entering Europe in 2015 were several interrelated wars, most notably the Libyan civil war , Syrian civil war and the 2014–2017 War in Iraq . In 2014, the EU member states counted around 252,000 irregular arrivals and 626,065 asylum applications,
10285-451: The first quarter of 2013 to 5,311 in the second quarter of 2013. African and other would-be illegal immigrants continue to set sail for Italian shores aboard unseaworthy boats and ships. Several of these attempts have ended with capsized boats and hundreds of people drowning in the sea, though the Italian navy has saved thousands of lives in its Operation Mare Nostrum . Operation Triton
10406-447: The former EU border agency, Frontex, hindered its ability to effectively address and remedy the situation created by the refugee crisis: it relied on the voluntary contributions by Member States as regards resources, it did not have its own operational staff and it did not have an explicit mandate to conduct search and rescue operations. The enhanced Agency will be strengthened and reinforced to address all these issues. The legal grounds for
10527-706: The government's unwelcoming stance, squalid conditions in the camps, and their poor prospects of being allowed to stay. Over the course of 2015 and 2016, almost everyone who had lodged an asylum claim in Hungary left the country. On 21 August 2015, the German Federal Office for Migration and Refugees was overwhelmed. This was attributed to the sheer mass of incoming asylum applications, the inherent complexity of determining whether applicants had previously claimed asylum in another EU country, and that almost all asylum applications by Syrians were being granted anyway Due to their lack of capacity to process applications
10648-632: The highest number since the 672,000 applications received in the wake of the Yugoslav Wars in 1992. Four countries – Germany, Sweden, Italy and France – received around two-thirds of the EU's asylum applications. Sweden, Hungary and Austria were among the top recipients of EU asylum applications per capita , when adjusted for their own populations, with 8.4 asylum seekers per 1,000 inhabitants in Sweden, 4.3 in Hungary, and 3.2 in Austria. The EU countries that hosted
10769-633: The increase of asylum seekers in the European region. Migration from Kosovo occurred in phases beginning from the second half of the 20th century. The Kosovo War (February 1998 – June 1999) created a wave. On 19 May 2011, Kosovo established the Ministry of Diaspora. Kosovo also established the Kosovo Diaspora Agency (KDA) to support migrants. The unemployment rate in Kosovo in 2014 was estimated at 30%,
10890-561: The inhabitants would be under strict surveillance. Many migrants tried to enter the United Kingdom , resulting in camps of migrants around Calais where one of the Eurotunnel entrances is located. In the summer of 2015, at least nine people died in attempts to reach Britain, including falling from trains, being hit by trains, or drowning in a canal at the Eurotunnel entrance. In response,
11011-441: The largest numbers of refugees at the end of 2014 were France (252,000), Germany (217,000), Sweden (142,000) and the United Kingdom (117,000). In 2014, the main countries of origin of asylum seekers, accounting for almost half of the total, were Syria (20%), Afghanistan (7%), Kosovo (6%), Eritrea (6%) and Albania . Most crossed the Mediterranean Sea from Libya. The overall rate of recognition of asylum applicants
11132-591: The member states. The dependency of the organisation on staff secondments has been identified by external auditors as a risk, since valuable experience may be lost when such staff leave the organisation and return to their permanent jobs. Special European Border Forces of rapidly deployable border guards, called Rapid Border Intervention Teams (RABIT) who are armed and patrol cross-country land borders, were created by EU interior ministers in April 2007 to assist in border control, particularly on Europe's southern coastlines . Frontex's European Patron Network began work in
11253-619: The nation faced fluctuating levels of civil war amidst unending unrest. The increase in refugee numbers was primarily attributed to the Taliban presence within Afghanistan. Their retreat in 2001 led to nearly 6 million Afghan refugees returning to their homeland. However, after the Taliban insurgency against NATO-led forces and subsequent Fall of Kabul , nearly 2.5 million refugees fled Afghanistan. The Boko Haram insurgency in Nigeria has resulted in
11374-428: The next day. The Ekathimerini story also quotes an EU document that alleges Frontex's Executive Director Fabrice Leggeri "actively resisted" the recruitment of the required 40 fundamental rights officers required in the regulation of the new European Border and Coast Guard Agency, answering frequent questions from agency staff in early 2020 that "it is not a priority" and "repeatedly made it clear to staff" that "Frontex
11495-557: The previous Basroch refugee camp . Germany has a quota system to distribute asylum seekers among all German states , but in September 2015 the federal states, responsible for accommodation, criticised the government in Berlin for not providing enough help to them. In Germany, which took in by far the highest number of refugees, the federal government distributes refugees among the 16 states proportionally to their tax revenue and population;
11616-626: The previous year. In January and February 2016, over 123,000 migrants landed in Greece, compared to about 4,600 in the same period of 2015. Sweden took in over 160,000 refugees in 2015, more per capita than any other country in Europe (other than Turkey). Well over half of these came to Sweden in October and November. Most entered Sweden by traveling through Germany and then Denmark; few wanted to apply for asylum in Denmark because of its comparatively harsh conditions for asylum seekers. There were occasionally scuffles as Danish police tried to register some of
11737-532: The problem, including distributing refugees among member countries, tackling root causes of emigration in the home countries of migrants, and simplifying deportation processes. However, due to a lack of political coordination at the European level, the distribution of countries was unequal, with some countries taking in many more refugees than others. The initial responses of national governments varied greatly. Many European Union (EU) governments reacted by closing their borders, and most countries refused to take in
11858-412: The prohibition of refoulement. In addition ECRE and British Refugee Council have expressed a worry with the lack of clarity regarding Frontex accountability for ensuring compliance with international and EC legal obligations by Member States involved in Frontex coordinated operations. This is compounded by the lack of transparency, and the absence of independent monitoring and democratic accountability of
11979-525: The proposal are article 77, paragraph 2(b) and (d), and article 79, paragraph 2 (c), of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union . Article 77 grants competence to the EU to adopt legislation on a "gradual introduction of an integrated management system for external borders," and article 79 authorizes the EU to enact legislation concerning the repatriation of third-country nationals residing illegally within
12100-545: The reception camp indefinitely. In an NGO Statement on International Protection presented at the UNHCR Standing Committee in 2008 a broad coalition of non-governmental organisations have expressed their concern, that much of the rescue work by Frontex is in fact incidental to a deterrence campaign so broad and, at times, so undiscriminating, that directly and through third countries – intentionally or not – asylum-seekers are being blocked from claiming protection under
12221-435: The recruitment of the required 40 fundamental rights officers provided for in the regulation of the new European Border and Coast Guard Agency, answering frequent questions from agency staff in early 2020 that "it is not a priority." The story also accuses Leggeri of being in charge of a "comically incompetent" human resources department that formally offered jobs to large numbers of Standing Corps personnel and then withdrew them
12342-473: The rest continued to other Nordic countries . In November 2015, Sweden reintroduced border controls at the Danish border, although this did not reduce the number of arrivals as they still had the right to apply for asylum. Within hours of Swedish border control becoming effective, Denmark instituted border controls at the German border. Some bypassed the border controls by taking a ferry to Trelleborg instead of
12463-612: The same legal personality. What the Commission draft Regulation aims to do is to strengthen the mandate of the EU border agency, to increase its competences and to better equip it to carry out its operational activities. The new tasks and responsibilities of the Agency need to be reflected by its new name. It coordinates its work alongside the European Fisheries Control Agency and European Maritime Safety Agency with regard to coastguard functions. The permanent staff of
12584-427: The size of Operation Triton but that would still leave the mission with fewer resources than the previous Italian-run rescue option ( Operation Mare Nostrum ) whose budget was more than 3 times as large, had four times the number of aircraft and had a wider mandate to conduct search and rescue operations across the Mediterranean Sea. On 23 April a five-hour emergency summit was held and EU heads of state agreed to triple
12705-589: The smugglers were from Europe, 14 per cent from the Middle East, 13 per cent from Africa, nine per cent from Asia (excluding the Middle East) and one per cent from the Americas. On several occasions, unscrupulous smugglers caused the deaths of the people they were transporting, particularly by using poorly-maintained and overfilled boats and refusing to provide life jackets. At least 3771 refugees and migrants drowned in
12826-486: The southern border of the EU being in the Sea. The Libyan no-fly zone came into effect subsequently, and combat operations started on 20 March 2011. The Netherlands has a Coast Guard Dornier 228 aircraft with air force crew and Portugal, an air force C-295MPA , stationed at Malta and Pantelleria . The number of observed shiploads of people intending to illegally enter into the EU through this sector increased from 1,124 in
12947-450: The states themselves are required to come up with housing solutions. In 2015, this arrangement came under strain as many states ran out of dedicated accommodation for incoming refugees. Many resorted to temporarily housing refugees in tents or repurposed empty buildings. The small village of Sumte (population 102), which contained a large unused warehouse, famously took in 750 refugees. Although media and some locals feared racial strife and
13068-499: The station. Unwilling to resort to violence to keep them out, and faced with a potential humanitarian crisis if the huge numbers languished in Hungary indefinitely, Germany and Austria jointly announced on 4 September that they would allow the migrants to cross their borders and apply for asylum. Across Germany, crowds formed at train stations to applaud and welcome the arrivals. In the following three months, an estimated 550,000 people entered Germany to apply for asylum, around half
13189-683: The task of each member state to control its own borders, Frontex is vested to ensure that they all do so with the same high standard of efficiency. The agency's main tasks according to the Council Regulation are: The institution was centrally and hierarchically organised with a management board, consisting of one person of each member state as well as two members of the commission. The member states representatives are operational heads of national security services concerned with border guard management. Frontex also has representatives from and works closely with Europol and Interpol . The management board
13310-488: The terms "illegal" and "irregular" border crossings for crossings of an EU external border but not at an official border-crossing point . These include people rescued at sea. Because many migrants cross more than one external EU border (for instance when traveling through the Balkans from Greece to Hungary), the total number of irregular EU external border crossings is often higher than the number of irregular migrants arriving in
13431-471: The total for the entire year. Though under pressure from conservative politicians, the German government refused to set an upper limit to the number of asylum applications it would accept, with Angela Merkel arguing that the "fundamental right to seek refuge ...from the hell of war knows no limit." She famously declared her confidence that Germany could cope with the situation with " wir schaffen das " (roughly, "we can manage this"). This phrase quickly became
13552-746: The train to Hyllie , The border controls were never fully lifted before the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, which saw renewed border closures throughout Europe. In October 2015, the Slovenian government accused Croatian police of helping migrants bypass Slovene border controls and released a night time thermovision video allegedly documenting the event. After inspecting a refugee camp in Traiskirchen , Austria, in August 2015, Amnesty International noted inhabitants were receiving insufficient medical care and claimed Austria
13673-654: The world's top ten refugee-producing countries. Wars fueling the migrant crisis are the Syrian Civil War , the Iraq War , the War in Afghanistan , the War in Somalia and the War in Darfur . Refugees from Eritrea, one of the most repressive states in the world, fled from indefinite military conscription and forced labour . Below are the major regions of conflict that have resulted in
13794-552: The world. According to the UNHCR, there are almost 2.5 million registered refugees from Afghanistan. Most of these refugees fled the region due to war and persecution. The majority have resettled in Pakistan and Iran, though it became increasingly common to migrate further west to the European Union. Afghanistan faced over 40 years of conflict dating back to the Soviet invasion in 1979 . Since then,
13915-453: The €143 million for 2015 to €543 million for 2021, and the staff of the agency is planned to reach 10,000 by 2027. The European Border and Coast Guard's national component comprises relevant authorities in each Schengen Area member state, which exercise the day-to-day management of their sections of the external borders of the Schengen Area. They are: The European Union's agency , titled European Border and Coast Guard Agency , provides
14036-419: Was "violating human rights". In late November, Finnish reception centers were running out of space, which forced authorities to resort to refurbished shipping containers and tents to house new asylum seekers. Deputy prime minister Petteri Orpo announced that special repatriation centers would be established to house denied asylum seekers. While he stressed that these camps would not be prisons, he described
14157-488: Was 45 per cent at the first instance and 18 per cent on appeal although there were huge differences between EU states, ranging from Hungary (accepted 9% of applicants) to Sweden (accepted 74%). According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees , most of the people who arrived in Europe in 2015 were refugees fleeing war and persecution in countries such as Syria , Afghanistan , Iraq and Eritrea : 84 per cent of Mediterranean Sea arrivals in 2015 came from
14278-590: Was comparatively low at around 150,000. Most of the refugees and migrants taking this route came from African countries, especially Eritrea , Nigeria , and Somalia . At least 2,889 people died during the journey. A few other routes were also used by some refugees, although they were comparatively low in number. One such route was entering Finland or Norway via Russia ; on a few days Arctic border stations in these countries saw several hundred "irregular" border crossings per day. Norway recorded around 6,000 refugees crossing its northern border in 2015. Because it
14399-426: Was coordinated, controlled and monitored by Frontex. In this center, in prison-like conditions, the asylum seekers were reported to undergo swift detention about their status for the purposes of registration. Independent journalists were reported to have had limited access to the facilities. While the reception center is not in the position to grant refugee status, it was reported that some asylum seekers could be held in
14520-539: Was criticised in April 2021 for supporting the Libyan Coast Guard to do so. In September 2009, a Turkish military radar issued a warning to a Latvian helicopter patrolling in the eastern Aegean —part of the EU's Frontex programme to combat illegal immigration—to leave the area. The Turkish General Staff reported that the Latvian Frontex aircraft had violated Turkish airspace west of Didim . According to
14641-598: Was declined. The operation's assets consisted of two surveillance aircraft , three ships and seven teams of staff to gather intelligence and conduct screening/identification processing. Its budget was estimated at €2.9 million per month. Since the operation began the number of migrants who drowned while crossing the Mediterranean increased dramatically, with the April 2015 Libya migrant shipwrecks resulting in over 1,000 deaths alone. The International Organization for Migration said that deaths at sea had risen nine times after
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