BRUSSELS — The EU border agency’s chief left the door open to ending its operations in Greece during a parliamentary hearing on Thursday on a migrant shipwreck off the Greek coast in June which resulted in over 500 deaths.
The incident raised questions about Greece’s human rights record, with criticism that the local coast guard did not do enough to save those onboard the ship.
“We’re in the stage of asking for more information on a total of three incidents — two earlier and now this one — and define if they have any consequences on the cooperation with Greece,” executive director of Frontex Hans Leijtens told a packed session of EU lawmakers in Brussels.
Tensions in the room flared when two right-wing MEPs suggested that immigration was responsible for the violent protests which erupted in France last week.
“This is one of the results of uncontrolled migration, and let’s be honest migrants in France have a much better life than in Africa,” said Slovak non-aligned MEP Milan Uhrík, prompting jeers and angry reactions from other colleagues in the room.
Leijtens is facing mounting pressure to suspend Frontex’s activities in Greece following a recommendation from the agency’s fundamental rights officer, Jonas Grimheden. In January 2022, Frontex set up a working group to assess fundamental rights in Greece and give advice on whether to end operations in the country.
Greek authorities came under the spotlight after survivors of the tragedy claimed the local coast guard staged a dangerous maneuver in order to steer the overcrowded fishing vessel toward Italy, ultimately causing it to capsize.
The Frontex chief indicated on Thursday his decision will ultimately depend on how the Greek government responds to his questions on the incident.
“What we need to know is what actually happened,” Leijtens stressed in his session at the European Parliament’s Justice and Home Affairs Committee, where he brushed aside accusations that the EU agency did not assist the migrant ship.
The Frontex chief pointed the finger at the Greek authorities instead, claiming that they twice ignored a request to deploy drones.
“We offered help but there was no response from the Greek authorities,” said Leijtens, adding that a Frontex drone that was dispatched earlier to monitor another migrant ship in the south of Greece did eventually arrive at the scene of the tragedy, when it was too late.
The EU’s Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson pushed back against pressures from MEPs to launch an independent EU investigation into the shipwreck.
“We don’t have the competence to do that, member states can do that,” stressed Johansson, adding that she urged the Greek government to carry out a “thorough, effective and transparent” investigation.