Frontex 'helped rescue 28,000 people this year'Īs part of the own-initiative inquiry, O'Reilly is also asking for details about how national authorities and Frontex communicate over search and rescue operations and about the rules for the use of cameras mounted on boats during joint operations. And that in itself, I think should prompt, hopefully, will prompt change in relation to this," the Ombudsman added. But the important thing, the important work that I will do and the Greek Ombudsman will do is that we will lay independently the facts out there. And after that, political decisions, choices can be made in relation to it. "I think I have to make what is invisible visible. And, of course, as you know, there's politics in all of this as well. "So it's sort of untangling all of those relationships and responsibilities. Yet, she said, "I don't think it's down to the narrow legal basis as between the competence of a member state and the competence of Frontex in relation to what happened when hundreds of people are in imminent danger of dying - and in fact, hundreds of people ultimately did die." Search and rescue is a competence of national governments, O'Reilly said, with multiple conventions related to maritime laws and refugees also adding to the legal framework surrounding such operations. "I decided to see what we could do in relation to filling the gaps in the story and primarily by looking at the role of the EU's border agency, Frontex, to see what it knows about it, its involvement in it, its responsibilities, its legal obligations and other obligations in relation to it," she told Euronews in an interview. Greek authorities have meanwhile defended its operation - a single ship was sent but offered no assistance after the captain of the trawler reportedly refused help in order to continue sailing towards Italy.Īn investigation has been launched at the national level but O'Reilly said in a statement that "Frontex’s role in search and rescue operation also needs to be clarified." 'I have to make what is invisible visible' Frontex has said it offered assistance to the Greek authorities after the overcrowded boat was spotted but that both calls went unanswered.
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