Commission should get Frontex under control, not give it more deportation powers

Responding to the Commission’s proposal on an EU strategy on ‘sustainable voluntary return and reintegration’ of migrants, ETUC Confederal Secretary Ludovic Voet said:



“It is totally irresponsible of the European Commission to give Frontex more powers over deportations at the very moment they are under investigation for involvement in illegal pushbacks of migrants.



“The Commission should be working with the European Parliament to bring Frontex back under democratic control and ensure it complies with fundamental rights. Instead, the policy proposed by the Commission today will see more people deported from the European Union in violation of fundamental rights.



“What Europe needs is action on safe and regular routes for labour migration which prevent exploitation of migrant workers, and regularisation mechanisms for the millions of undocumented migrants that live and work in Europe.”



Notes

Full ETUC policy statement on the new Migration and Asylum Pact: https://www.etuc.org/en/document/etuc-statement-new-pact-migration-and-asylum

The ETUC and its affiliates take practical measures to support migrants through the UnionMigrantNet www.unionmigrantnet.eu



Photo: European Parliament