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Emily O’Reilly, the EU Ombudsman who investigates maladministration and systemic issues, will Wednesday morning launch an investigation into the position of EU border company Frontex in one of many deadliest shipwrecks within the Mediterranean Sea.
The investigation will concentrate on Frontex involvement in search and rescue operations within the Mediterranean, and search to make clear occasions surrounding the Adriana shipwreck off the coast of Greece in June, through which lots of died.
Within the aftermath of the sinking of the Adriana, which was carrying as much as 750 migrants to Europe from Libya, conflicting stories emerged as to how a lot Frontex knew forward of the tragedy, and what position it performed or might have performed in stopping it. Folks briefed on the investigation, who have been granted anonymity to disclose particulars of the case forward of the introduced probe, informed POLITICO’s Brussels Playbook that the Ombudsman has requested to see Frontex’s inner “Severe Incident Report,” and is looking for particulars on how occasions unfolded through the essential hours of Adriana’s capsizing and sinking.
Greek authorities have additionally come below the highlight after survivors of the tragedy claimed the native coast guard staged a harmful maneuver so as to steer the overcrowded fishing vessel towards Italy, in the end inflicting it to capsize. Survivors have claimed the Greek coast guard’s try and tow the vessel led to the shipwreck, and varied media accounts have proven the boat was stalled for hours earlier than the coast guard intervened. The tragedy elevated strain on Frontex to finish the company’s operations in Greece because of the nation’s lack of cooperation.
O’Reilly may also examine how details about search and rescue operations is shared between Frontex and nationwide authorities, and whether or not Frontex has a say on how these operations are designed.
Chris Borowski, a senior public relations officer at Frontex, mentioned the company “doesn’t coordinate search and rescue operations,” which is the accountability of nationwide authorities. “Frontex vessels conduct search and rescue operations when referred to as upon,” he added, in addition to offering nationwide authorities and rescue facilities “with data important to saving lives.”
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