I wish I didn't have to send people back to Libya, Frontex chief tells Euronews
The executive director of the EU's border and coast guard responds to Euronews’ question about an NGO's claims that returnees often face human rights abuses.
READ MORE : http://www.euronews.com/2025/04/25/i-wish-i-didnt-have-to-send-people-back-to-libya-frontex-chief-tells-euronews
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The executive director of the EU's border and coast guard responds to Euronews’ question about an NGO's claims that returnees often face human rights abuses.
READ MORE : http://www.euronews.com/2025/04/25/i-wish-i-didnt-have-to-send-people-back-to-libya-frontex-chief-tells-euronews
Subscribe to our channel. Euronews is available on Dailymotion in 12 languages
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NewsTranscript
00:00Frontex's executive director Hans Leighton says he wished no migrants were returned to
00:05Libya where they often face human rights abuses.
00:08But sometimes, he says he has no choice.
00:12The EU's external border and coast guard agency Frontex is regularly challenged by human rights
00:17groups for not doing enough to save lives at sea.
00:21Its use of aerial surveillance to enable the Libyan Coast Guard to intercept migrant boats
00:26often results in vessels returned to Libya.
00:29I don't want people to be returned to Libya.
00:31That's the only way we can do it, is to inform this Maritime Rescue Coordination Center.
00:37And if it's in Libyan territory, it's the Libyans who have to take the responsibility, and they
00:41do.
00:42And I've been asked, okay, but why don't you just skip the Libyans and only inform the NGOs?
00:47But that would mean that I would play with human lives.
00:50Because if the NGOs are not available, then there's no coordination, then people might
00:54drown.
00:55And I cannot take that responsibility.
00:56So as long, as much as I do not like people to be returned to Libya, if I have to choose,
01:01again, I'd rather save lives than not save lives.
01:05Meanwhile, NGOs which actively reach out to help migrants from dying in the sea are regularly
01:11criticized by member states, even prosecuted and accused of supporting smuggling.
01:17But Mr. Lightens believes his role is to work alongside NGOs in the protection of lives at
01:24sea.
01:25For me, NGOs are part of the ecosystem.
01:29I'm in touch with them.
01:30We speak.
01:31We try to understand each other's positions.
01:33We try to make sure that we don't block each other, because we all see the need to save
01:39lives at sea, for example.
01:41And also, by the way, NGOs, we cooperate in a way.
01:44For example, what we do is, after return people, we have a so-called post-return program,
01:49which is meant to help people pick up their lives again.
01:53And for this, we hire, actually, NGOs to perform this on our behalf with European Frontex funding.
02:00So I think it's actually a more nuanced picture than often being told.
02:05You can watch the full interview with Frontex's Executive Director next Thursday on the Europe Conversation.
02:11Contact.
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02:21Thanks be to Mar knob!