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On Wednesday January 19, Emmanuel Macron will speak in Strasbourg on the priorities of the French presidency of the European Union. In particular, it should advocate a strengthening of Frontex, the border surveillance agency at the heart of controversy.
A plane is deployed by border guards from Frontex to identify smuggling networks. They fly over the coast almost daily. A camera under the plane takes pictures day and night. The tragic drowning of 27 migrants in the English Channel triggered the establishment of this surveillance. the surveillance company, Frontex, employs 2000 agents with a budget of one billion euros per year by 2027.
The European Court of Auditors describes insufficiently effective supervision, with gaps and inconsistencies. Some NGOs also accuse him of having pushed back some migrants in a very strong way. “Scandals have been breaking out at the Frontex agency for years (…) and everyone closes their eyes”, retorts Manon Aubry, MEP BIA. But the agency denies it. Another mutual aid system between European states is under study, proof that Europe is still looking for the right method in the management of its borders.