EU Agency Commander Defeated, EU Capitulates
Frontex, the European Union's agency tasked with protecting the EU's external borders, has effectively conceded defeat in the battle against illegal immigration.
Currently, an agency chief who has admitted an inability to stop unauthorized intruders leads the organization, and his statements suggest that European natives must accept this situation. However, there was an opportunity to halt illegal immigration, but Brussels, as it has done so often, once again sided with migrants' interests.
'Who am I to judge the migrants?' asks Hans Leijtens, almost rhetorically. As the Executive Director of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex), his agency is essentially the EU's border guard, responsible for preventing the illegal migrant influx into the continent.
The Dutch chief border officer, to put it mildly, is not living up to the task. From him, we least expected the admission that borders cannot stop the migration into Europe and that those campaigning against it must refrain from 'superficial scaremongering' and accept migration as a reality.
This is a bleak stance because it essentially means that Frontex has laid down its arms, raised the white flag, and surrendered to the mass of illegal immigrants.
So, what is the notable agency doing with its nearly 800 million euro annual budget? Because that was the price tag of inaction in 2022, yet it's unclear what the funds were spent on.
No matter how many white flags were purchased or how much cream was obtained to relieve joint pain a side effect from holding hands up for an extended period the math doesn't add up.
If we dig a little deeper, we realize that Frontex, abandoning its original duties, has smoothly aligned itself with the EU's migration policy. However, the EU's border protection agency is not a political body but a professional organization; therefore, it shouldn't make autonomous decisions without political background and intent.
This is not new. Fabrice Leggeri, the former head of Frontex, was forced to resign in 2022 after the EU severely criticized his handling of migrants moving towards Europe. Of course, Leggeri could not be dismissed outright, so the Frontex management board accused the expert of fraud.
In his resignation letter, Leggeri wrote: 'I return my mandate to the management since it appears that Frontex's mandate, based on which I was elected in June 2019, has quietly but effectively changed.'
The date of the resignation letter is telling. The document coincided with the day an international consortium of journalists revealed that, according to Frontex's database, illegal migrants trying to enter Greece were forced back to Turkey on Leggeri's orders.
As for the consortium's operations, the left-liberal press naturally labeled Frontex's actions illegal. Not migrants were deemed illegal, but those who tried to enforce the EU's border-crossing regulations, which only exist on paper.
In other words, Leggeri faced criticism for placing obstacles in the path of illegal migration, preventing those not qualified from entering Europe, and striving to deport the intruders.
The accusation of fraud was pinned on Leggeri under the pretense that he misused available funds. That is, it was not correct to deport illegal migrants back to Turkey and spend money on it. The European Parliament also took action by accusing Leggeri of failing to protect the rights of asylum seekers.
One might think there are limits to impudence, but there are none. Following these events, the European Commission issued a statement saying that 'it is critically important for Frontex to assist member states in protecting the common EU external borders.'
The twist in the tale is that Leggeri recently announced he would run in the June European parliamentary elections under the colors of the French sovereigntist right-wing party, National Rally, led by Marine Le Pen. The decidedly anti-immigration party can thus count on the support of a true expert, likely to bring a significant number of votes to the party.
Less than four months remain before the next European Parliament elections in the EU countries, and surveys indicate that Le Pen's party is leading in France, significantly ahead of French President Emmanuel Macron's centrist camp.
Forecasts suggest that sovereigntists will win the EU parliamentary election in their country, which would be a tremendous achievement and possibly herald a political turn in France."
Newsletter
Related Articles