A Frontex official stated that the European Union’s border agency is frustrated with Greece’s ongoing pushback of migrants and is contemplating urging Brussels to initiate disciplinary action against Athens.
Jonas Grimheden, the Fundamental Rights Officer, stated that Greece’s actions left Frontex with two choices: either to pause its mission or to request that the European Commission initiate violation proceedings against Greece.
Grimheden stressed, however, that halting work would not best serve the agency’s mission because there had to be oversight of the Greek government. “If Frontex were to leave Greece, there would no longer be any way to learn how the authorities are dealing with arriving migrants. The agency ensures monitoring and transparency,” he said.
This creates an opportunity for the Commission to intervene since Brussels oversees most of Greece’s border funding, as noted by Grimheden. “There must be some form of punishment. The Commission itself can initiate violation proceedings against a member state,” Grimheden said. “Frontex cannot solve the problem alone.”
He proposed that the Commission might tie Greece’s advancements in migrant human rights to its funding access. In a severe scenario, if Athens persists in neglecting its duties to migrants, the Commission could commence legal action in the Court of Justice of the EU.
Grimheden’s comments follow closely after the agency warned of potential funding cuts for Coast Guard vessels, which are co-financed with Frontex, unless Greece adopts key recommendations on migration policy.
In May 2023, the EU urged Greece to look into claims of migrants being left at sea and deportations by its officials. Greece has 13 ongoing cases of alleged human rights breaches related to migrants, marking the highest number of such incidents in the EU. By 2024, almost a third of Frontex’s 56 open cases were linked to Greece. “Greece remains our biggest problem in terms of human rights,” remarked Grimheden.
On April 3, a tragic incident occurred when a boat sank near the Greek island of Lesbos, resulting in the deaths of at least seven migrants, including two children, following an intervention by the Hellenic Coast Guard, as reported in a complaint received by Frontex. Frontex is now investigating, collecting photographic and video evidence along with testimonies from survivors.
In June 2023, a fishing boat sank near Greece’s southern peninsula, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of migrants who were attempting to reach Europe from Libya. An independent inquiry conducted by the Greek Ombudsman recommended disciplinary measures against eight coast guards involved in the tragedy.