Today, the Frontex Consultative Forum on Fundamental Rights published its sixth annual report outlining its activities in 2018. The report also presents observations and recommendations made to Frontex, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, and its Management Board in an effort to strengthen fundamental rights protection in the Agency’s activities.
The Forum welcomes the fact that Frontex began to collect detailed data on the gender and the age of persons crossing the EU external borders. This is an important step that will enhance the planning and implementation of operations and facilitate the identification and referral of children at risk.
During the year, the Forum focused on the role of the Frontex Liaison Officers in non-EU countries in promoting fundamental rights standards, including during a visit to the Western Balkans. It also continued its work on gender and on child protection and safeguarding and issued a detailed recommendation on the role of Frontex in dealing with stateless persons in the context of its activities.
The inadequate staffing of the Agency’s Fundamental Rights Office remains a concern. The expansion of Frontex’s mandate and activities exacerbates the need for an independent and well equipped Office to ensure that the activities of the Agency are fully in line with its fundamental rights obligations under the European Border and Coast Guard Regulation.
The Consultative Forum encourages the Agency to revise the existing mechanisms to identify and address potential violations of fundamental rights in the context of its operations, as well as to ensure that its 2011 Fundamental Rights Strategy is updated.
The publication of this report is in line with Article 70 (4) of the European Border and Coast Guard Regulation. The sixth annual report of the Consultative Forum was presented to the Frontex Management Board on 12 March 2019.
More information about the Consultative Forum is available here.
For further information about the Report, please contact:
Marta Ballestero, United Nations High Commissioner
for Refugees (UNHCR)
Consultative Forum Chair
balleste@unhcr.org
Stefan Kessler, Jesuit Refugee Service
Consultative Forum Chair
stefan.kessler@jrs.net
Frontex Consultative Forum Secretariat
consultative.forum@frontex.europa.eu