The former head of “Frontex” is a candidate for MEP
Two NGOs accuse ex-director of EU border agency “Frontex“, Fabrice Ledgeriwho is a candidate for MEP from the French far-right National Assembly party, c complicity in crimes against humanityand torture of migrants. The complaint was filed in court on Tuesday, EURACTIV reported.
Ledgery is in third place on the list for the EU elections in June. He is involved in a scandal that could affect the results of the party, which is in first place with 31%.
The non-governmental organizations LDH and the association for the protection of migrants “Utopia 56” claim that Ledgeri is an accomplice in crimes against humanityand torture of migrants in the Mediterranean and Aegean Seas while he was head of the border agency.
He is suspected of “in participating in, facilitating and concealing the return of migrant boats by the Greek authorities to Turkey, as well as the return of migrant boats attempting to reach Italy“.
Ledgeri resigned following a damning report by the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) in April 2022, but continues to deny the allegations.
According to the report, “Frontex‘ failed to respond adequately to evidence of migrant returns at Greece’s sea and land borders between the spring and autumn of 2020, and allegedly even tried to cover them up.
Serious offense
Turning people away is contrary to international and EU law as it impedes the processing of protection claims.
In a press release dated October 14, 2022, the management of “Frontex‘ acknowledged ‘serious misconduct’ and in particular the fact that these incidents were overlooked. However, it stressed that these practices “are a thing of the past”.
“This complaint is a very positive sign because the entry of Fabrice Ledgeri in politics raised few questionssaid Lefteris Papagaianakis, director of the Greek Refugee Council.
“The former director of the border agency was known for his political leanings, which are incompatible with the technical tasks that a European service must perform. He imposed his own agenda and was rewarded by the government in Athens for his actions, while Greek security forces have faced constant criticism for illegally turning back migrants.he continued.
Ledgeri v Frontex
The 55-year-old former EU official was nominated as one of the leading candidates on the National Assembly electoral list on February 17, a welcome addition to the panel of pundits and technocrats. Since then, he has devoted most of his time to criticizing “Frontex“.
“The overall philosophy of the Asylum and Migration Pact is a fraud“, he recently told BFM TV.
“We are not addressing the root of the problem – to prevent migrants from putting their lives at risk, falling into the hands of traffickers, to come and seek asylum on the European continent“, he added.
The International Organization for Migration estimates that at least 30,000 people have died in the Mediterranean since 2014, including 16,272 between 2015 and 2022.
Not surprisingly, French far-right leader Marine Le Pen was quick to back Ledgerie, criticizing “far-left associations, supporters of migration flows and accomplices of smugglers”.
Ledgeri demanded that those who fund these NGOs stop their money.
In support of their allegations, LDH and Utopia 56 claim to rely on journalistic investigations, NGO reports and the OLAF report.
On its website, Utopia 56 states that “according to several journalistic sources, the border agency played a role in nearly 222 dramatic incidents involving 8,355 people between March 2020 and September 2021.” She failed to oppose the local authorities, which was her main duty. There are also reports of hiding evidence of these crimes, as well as refusing to provide logistical and financial support for rescue operations.
