The former director of the EU border agency, Frontex, Fabrice Legheriannounced that he would join the far right National Rally (RN) of France. As it also mentions Euractive, Legheri, 55, has led Frontex since 2015 and resigned in 2022 while under investigation by the EU’s anti-fraud office (OLAF). As he said, he has joined the list of Marine Le Pen’s party for the European elections in June.
Series of publications on illegal “repulsions” of immigrants:
During his time at the head of Frontex, Leggeri was often accused of tolerating illegal “repulsions” of migrants.
- The French magazine Point stated that its confidential report OLAF for Leggeri found that “he didn’t follow procedures, he was dishonest with the EU and he mismanaged staff.”
- According to international research published by Guardianthe border agency has been involved in pushbacks of at least 957 asylum seekers in the Aegean between March 2020 and September 2021, according to a new international investigation.
- Another joint research of Lighthouse Reports, Der Spiegel, SRF Rundschau, Republic and The world revealed Frontex’s involvement in alleged refugee pushbacks, based on information from the agency’s own database.
According to the investigation, the agency’s internal database, called Jora, recorded sightings of asylum-seeker pushbacks in the Aegean that officials described as “departure prevention”.
Frontex carries out this designation for refugees allegedly intercepted at sea by authorities of non-European countries in their territorial waters, and sent back to their point of departure. These are descriptions of 145 incidents which, however, differed from reports of the same incidents by the Turkish Coast Guard, witnesses, leaked documents and other confidential sources.
In at least 22 cases, the asylum seekers managed to disembark from the boats, but were then put into Greek life rafts and put out to sea.
Greece and Frontex deny the allegations
Greece and Frontex deny the allegations and say they follow European human rights law. Significantly, however, due to mounting pressure from such reports the European Union has “frozen” part of Frontex’s budget while the allegations are investigated.
From the re-promotions to Le Pen
“The RN has a specific plan and the ability to carry it out”Fabrice Legheri told the Sunday newspaper Journal du Dimanche.
“We are determined to fight the migrant influx, which the European Commission and Eurocrats do not see as a problem, but rather as a task,” he told the newspaper.
“Today, I choose to put my experience and know-how at the service of the French”wrote on X, formerly of Twitter.
“Leading Frontex for almost seven years and working for the state for about 30 years, especially in the field of security and immigration, makes this decision coherent,” he says, adding: “For the EU, immigration is not a problem, it is a task.”
“Regarding these accusations, it is important to note that neither the European Parliament nor the FRONTEX board found convincing evidence to support them.” countered Fabrice Lesery to JDD
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