Impossible repatriations, Europe capitulates

Frontex stands ready to intercept migrant Libyan coast guards, cooperation remains in limbo with Tunisia, few repatriations are made. Hans Leytens, executive director of the European agency that is supposed to defend external borders, is wrestling with straws before the human rights committee of the Strasbourg parliament. It is an arduous attempt to preserve the essential benefactors, who mark the official line of Brussels, and the practical recognition of the necessary compromises with reality. Starting with the Libyan case, Littens admitted: “We know that Libya is not a safe haven, but due to international agreements we report boats in danger to the relevant authorities.” This means that Frontex sounds the alarm for the hated Libyan coast guard, when migrants run into trouble, knowing full well that they will not return them to heaven on earth. The Dutchman hides behind the fig leaf of “rescue” at all costs, but in reality it is the Libyans who are blocking the wave. The numbers speak for themselves: as of 15 August, 31,100 people had arrived in Italy from Libya and 10,400 of them had been intercepted by the Coast Guard and returned to land.

Admitting that “Frontex is not currently cooperating with Tunisia” is disheartening. Leightens then explained that he would soon meet with the Tunisians to “get to know each other,” but nothing practical in the short term. It’s crazy trash for Italy, which spent its time with Giorgia Meloni preparing the EU-Tunisia Memorandum of Understanding. The bulk of the migrants arrived from the North African country (75,460 as of August 30). Frontex is taking time because, as the director explains, it will “need political guidance” from Brussels. The European Commission fears the left, which describes Tunisia as an unsafe port and President Said as a dictator who eats migrants.

Even worse is accepting the tiny number (24,000) of repatriations with the help of the entire EU. The Frontex report detailing a worse picture: in 2022, the number of people who had to return home because they had no right to stay was 515,181. The European Union forcibly returned 35,095 irregular migrants, and another 48,741 voluntarily returned to their home countries. In all, only 16% of those who should not stay in Europe.