Discharge 2024: General budget of the EU - Agencies

Tabled by Dick Erixon, Nicolas Bay, Charlie Weimers, Sebastian Tynkkynen, Cristian Terheş

Added: 33 b. Notes with grave concern the public statement by the Executive Director of Frontex Hans Leijtens that 'To put it bluntly, nothing can stop people from crossing a border, no wall, no fence, no sea, no river'1a; expresses grave concern that these types of statements dilute Frontex's core mandate, which is to protect the Union's external borders and to prevent illegal border crossings; recalls that, under the former Executive Director, Frontex adopted a more operationally assertive approach to border protection, which was systematically undermined by institutional pressure from the Commission and NGO-driven advocacy; stresses that Frontex's budget, financed by Union taxpayers, must be directed towards effective border protection, combating migrant smuggling and supporting return operations, not towards an expanded mandate in migration management or fundamental rights that blurs the line between border protection and facilitation of illegal entries; 1a https://brusselssignal.eu/2024/01/head-of-frontex-nothing-can-stop-people-from-crossing-a-border/

Wording as published by the EP, in English. PE783.206