Frontex, the European Union Border Agency, has threatened to cut ties with Sweden over the country’s “lack of transparency” when it comes to forced deportations of asylum seekers.
Such a move could have great financial consequences for Sweden, Sören Clerton, head of the National Police Board’s border control unit, told Swedish Radio News, as Forex covers many of the costs involved in the deportation operations.
In the past five years, Sweden has helped carry out 90 forced deportations in collaboration with other EU member states. Asylum seekers have been deported to Nigeria, Kosovo, Iraq and other countries. Forex covers the costs of the chartered planes and staff, but recently the agency adopted a code of conduct which says participating countries must have an effective control system in place. For instance, independent observers must be onboard the flights.
In a report from the European Agency for Fundamental Rights, Sweden is singled out as one of the EU countries which does not meet the demands of independent controls.
“We believe we have a functioning system, but this evaluation has shown this is not the case and that outsiders do not believe so. That means we have to reevaluate our work,” said Clerton.
Out of the 28 EU member states, 15 have an independent observation system for deportations. In some countries, the state has created a special unit to oversee the removals. In Sweden, the National Police Board has asked the Red Cross and Amnesty International, among others, if they want to collaborate, but they have said no, according to Clerton.
This kind of work requires special competencies and resources in order to ensure that the rule of law is upheld, Madeleine Seidlitz, a refugee lawyer at Amnesty, told Swedish Radio News.
Seidlitz said that Amnesty in Sweden does not have those kinds of resources and that overseeing deportations is not part of the organisation’s mission. The responsibility must lie with the state, said Seidlitz.
Source: Radio Sweden
http://sverigesradio.se/sida/artikel.aspx?programid=2054&artikel=5747522
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