reduced since August 2012, when the Greek gov-
ernment, in cooperation with the border guard
teams of Frontex, beefed up security measures
along the border with Turkey. The central
Mediterranean route –via Italy– is now most wide-
ly used, and this is where 10,379 illegal refugee
entries were recorded in 2012 (14% of the total).
In the west Mediterranean route –via Spain–
6.397 illegal immigrant entries were recorded in
2012, owing to the fact that Spain has intensified
its border controls, as part of a bilateral coopera-
tion with Morocco.
Which are the main tools Europe has been up to
now using to handle its immigration problem?
At the EU border, the main tool has been Frontex,
while Eurosur took over in December 2013. At the
same time, several readmission agreements
have been signed, as part of the EU’s Global
Approach to Migration and Mobility, sais Dr.
Aggeliki Dimitriadis. In other words, third coun-
tries are called to sign readmission agreements
regarding both their citizens and all persons who
have passed through their territory, to enhance
their border protection measures by signing
agreements with Frontex, to build further integrat-
ed border management (IBM) capacity, such as
document control, combating the trafficking of
humans etc. Moreover, as already mentioned, the
EU will try to complete and implement the
Common European Asylum System (CEAS),
which officially comes into force in 2015 with the
activation of all recast Directives.
How can Frontex be strengthened? Is it suffi-
cient for dealing with irregular migration?
The European Agency for the Management of
Operational Cooperation at the External Borders
of the Member States of the European Union
(Frontex) maintains an office in Piraeus, whose
operation has been extended till the end of 2013,
and is implementing one of the most long-lived
operations (Poseidon) in an EU member state.
“Its presence may not be impressive in terms of
manpower”, stresses Dr. Aggeliki Dimitriadis, “but
it brought with it technical means that Greece did
not possess and also helped a lot with organiza-
tional matters and equipment.”
At the same time, though, Dr. Dimitriadis points
out that “there is genuine concern regarding the
exact role of the agency, its activity and whether it
is, after all, under control, because this is an
agency that evolved rapidly and, from a purely
operational role, is now involved in capacity build-
ing, readmissions, border supervisions and joint
operations with third countries. It places too much
emphasis on deterrence – both through Eurosur
and the All Eyes programme, and, despite having
incorporated the Charter of Fundamental Rights,
it does not accept that any human rights viola-
tions in its area of operation are its own responsi-
bility, claiming instead that they are the responsi-
bility of the member states. In 2013 it had a budg-
et of almost 86 million euros, which, although
supposed to be ‘reduced’, is actually one of the
largest that exist, comparable to that of
EUROPOL. At the same time, though, it depends
fully on the member states’ contribution and sup-
port, in other words it doesn’t possess its own
technical equipment, means of transportation etc.
– it just ‘borrows’ those made available by the
member states.”
According to Dr. Dimitriadis, Frontex is not a suf-
Trade with Greece
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