EU Subcommittee: Debate on combating smuggling and protecting the external borders of the European Union
Vienna (PK) – Today we discussed a proposal to strengthen police cooperation in the prevention, detection and investigation of smuggling crime EU subcommittee of the National Council. The MPs also discussed the European Commission’s assessment report on the regulation on the European Border and Coast Guard (Frontex) and the Standing Reserve.
Combat human trafficking and human trafficking
With one presented by the European Commission in November Proposed regulation The role of Europol in combating smuggling and human trafficking and in particular the role of the European Center for Combating Migrant Smuggling should be strengthened. The proposal is part of a package to combat smuggling crime.
The fight against smuggling crime is an issue that is of great concern to the Ministry of the Interior, said Interior Minister Gerhard Karner. According to the Interior Minister, smuggling is one of the most brutal but also financially profitable forms of organized crime that makes more money than drug trafficking. Therefore, massive action must be taken against this, both at national and international level. Austria has already done a lot in this regard. This means that “tugboats are already partly avoiding Austria”. This would be evidenced by a decline in the numbers, said Karner. Furthermore, 725 smugglers were arrested in Austria last year. However, these are often “the smaller fish” and not the people behind them. An improvement in coordination at the European level is therefore “clearly to be welcomed” and Austria will make its contribution to this, said Karner.
Georg Strasser (ÖVP) asked about the specific measures that Austria is taking to combat the “smuggling mafia”. Austria has expanded border controls and intensified veil searches, replied Interior Minister Karner. There is also “Operation Fox” and the Joint Operational Office to combat smuggling.
In connection with the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine, women and children have become victims of human trafficking and there are still “missing children”, i.e. children who disappeared while fleeing, said Eva Maria Holzleitner (SPÖ). She wanted to know from Interior Minister Karner what measures were being taken to combat human trafficking and what was being done to bring these missing people back. The topic of “trafficking in human beings and women” will be discussed at every interior ministerial conference, said Karner, and the “Task Force Ukraine” has also been founded. There are currently no known cases of “missing children” in Austria.
It is shocking how widespread human trafficking is, including in Austria. Smuggling crime is also flourishing because there are no legal escape routes, said Ewa Ernst-Dziedzic (Greens) and wanted to know what was being done to create legal routes. The EU’s planned asylum and migration pact is “a step in the right direction,” said Karner. A large number of Ukrainians are cared for in Europe, so there are legal escape routes. In addition, international projects in countries of origin would be supported in order to prevent smuggling, said the Interior Minister.
The strengthening of Europol to combat human trafficking is supported by her group, said Stephanie Krisper (NEOS). It is “of course important” to create legal escape routes and returns must become much more efficient in order to serve as a deterrent, said Kripser.
Hungary would release convicted smugglers early, said Reinhold Einwallner (SPÖ) and wanted to know what would be done to solve this problem. Hungary is a neighbor, said Interior Minister Karner, so we have the task of working together and having “proper discussions” with each other. Serbia has also succeeded in changing its visa policy towards India and Tunisia, which has led to a decrease in asylum applications in Austria from people from these countries who have traveled illegally from Serbia to Austria.
EU external border protection as a joint task of the member states
The European Commission has one at the beginning of February Assessment report together with their relevant conclusions on the Regulation establishing the European Border and Coast Guard (Frontex) and the Standing Reserve. In its report, the European Commission concludes that there is currently no immediate need to amend the regulation, although the implementation of the regulation has been affected by a number of external and internal factors, such as the Covid pandemic.
Frontex was founded in 2004 to protect the EU’s external borders, and there have been several adjustments since then, said Interior Minister Karner. Last year, the member states unanimously agreed that protecting the EU’s external borders was a shared task. Therefore, a “permanent operational unit” and an operational reserve are now being created. “We will need a strong Frontex unit for a functioning asylum and migration pact,” said Karner.
The regulation obliges the member states, among other things, to participate in the permanent reserve of a total of 10,000 employees by sending personnel and technology to operational operations, including in third countries. To ensure compliance with fundamental rights, the deployment of more than 40 fundamental rights observers is planned, who will support the fundamental rights officer in carrying out his or her tasks. For Austria, the deployment of 17 employees for long-term operations (2 years) and up to 96 employees for short-term operations (up to four months) is planned for 2024, according to the Interior Ministry.
Friedrich Ofenauer (ÖVP) asked about Austria’s participation in Frontex operations and wanted to know whether there was also cooperation with Frontex with regard to returns. Austria takes part in Frontex operations in addition to bilateral operations, Karner replied. Austria also provides technical equipment such as thermal imaging cameras. Frontex also cooperates with returns.
Frontex has fallen into disrepute due to illegal push-backs, said Reinhold Einwallner (SPÖ) and asked the question of how it can be guaranteed that Austria does not take part in such. For him, a push-back means a violent pushback at the border, said Karner, and such a thing is of course illegal. However, it is “of course possible” to refuse to cross the border. Police officers for international missions are trained and sensitized accordingly and violations of fundamental rights are not tolerated, said Karner.
Hannes Amesbauer (FPÖ) said it would be “nice” if Frontex was increased and wanted to know from Karner what “his contribution” was to “getting a functioning external border protection”. External border protection is not “nice”, but “necessary”, replied Karner, referring to the stricter and clearer rules at the EU’s external borders, which are included in the planned European asylum and migration pact. This would, among other things, also provide for fast-track procedures at the EU’s external borders. That’s why he’s surprised that the FPÖ is rejecting this pact, said Karner. It borders on satire to say that the FPÖ is against rigorous action, replied Petra Steger (FPÖ). There can be “no question of effective border protection” through the planned European asylum and migration pact and the announced fast-track procedures would only affect a small fraction of those arriving. Therefore, this is just “a window dressing” and will not help anything, said Steger.
Georg Bürstmayr (Greens) welcomed the fact that the Frontex regulation requires a fundamental rights officer. He pointed out that Frontex had ended its activities in Hungary and wanted to know whether violations of fundamental rights were being investigated in Hungary and whether these were being reported to the European authorities. Stephanie Krisper (NEOS) wanted to know how those apprehended are dealt with as part of “Operation Fox” and what happens to these people since there are no asylum applications in Hungary. Karner said it would be very important to him if Frontex resumed its activities in Hungary. Those caught as part of “Operation Fox” will be handed over to the Hungarian authorities. Of course, the Austrian police will not tolerate any violations of fundamental rights during operations in Hungary, said Karner. (Conclusion of the EU subcommittee) bea
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