The International Amnesty organization has called on the European Border and Coast Guard Agency “Frontex” to be more transparent about its cooperation with Libya in the field of migration. The organization pointed out that “Frontex” underwent a hearing session on Wednesday before the General Court of the European Union in Brussels, regarding its lack of transparency regarding its participation in maritime interception operations and human rights violations against migrants coming from Libya. The human rights organization stated that Frontex uses aircraft and drones to monitor anyone trying to reach Europe via the Mediterranean, before alerting the Libyan coast guard. As a result, refugees and migrants are routinely intercepted and returned to Libya.
According to Amnesty International’s Refugee Rights Researcher, Matteo de Bellis, “Frontex must be transparent about its role in any operations that may have led to human rights violations against refugees and migrants. Without such transparency, any pledges the agency makes regarding human rights protections will be tokenistic and will not lead to the positive changes that the agency promises”.
The hearing is part of a case filed by Sea-Watch and Naass against Frontex for refusing to disclose documents relating to its surveillance activities in the central Mediterranean on 30 July 2021, when the Libyan Coast Guard intercepted about 20 people in the Maltese Search-and-Rescue Region and returned them to Libya. The hearing is scheduled for October 11, 2023.
