Tiftix ta’ inkjesti

The complainant sought access to detailed information on two of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency’s (Frontex) joint operations that it carried out in Greece and in Spain. In particular, the complainant asked for the number of Greek and Spanish co-financed assets and for a detailed breakdown per month and per profile of the assets and officers deployed.

Frontex refused to provide the requested detailed information arguing that it was sensitive operational information and that its disclosure could jeopardise Frontex’s future operational activities.

The complainant considered that this was a generic justification that Frontex often uses to refuse access to information and to documents. She further argued that the Commission had already disclosed some of the information requested.

The Ombudsman asked Frontex to set out, in line with the EU legislation on access to documents, why it considered that it could not disclose the requested data. The Ombudsman inquiry team also met with representatives of Frontex to receive more detailed explanations on how disclosure of the requested information could hamper Frontex’s ongoing and future operations.

Frontex argued that such a detailed breakdown of the assets and human resources deployed would allow criminal networks to draw a comprehensive picture on the strengths and/or weaknesses of Frontex’s deployments. As operational areas change only marginally, this type of information would enable such criminal networks to draw conclusions on Frontex’s operational focus in current and future operations.

The Ombudsman found that Frontex’s explanations were reasonable and supported by EU case-law. She thus closed the inquiry finding no maladministration.

Din l-inkjesta fuq inizjattiva proprja vvalutat kif l-Aġenzija Ewropea għall-Gwardja tal-Fruntiera u tal-Kosta (Frontex) qed tikkonforma mal-obbligi tagħha tad-drittijiet fundamentali u t-trasparenza skont ir-Regolament 2019/1896 (“Ir-Regolament tal-Frontex”), li wessa’ l-mandat tal-Frontex.

L-inkjesta stħarrġet kif il-Frontex tiżgura t-trasparenza tal-“pjanijiet operazzjonali” tagħha, li jiddefinixxu l-parametri tal-operazzjonijiet tagħha, u kif tiddeċiedi li tissospendi, tittermina jew ma tnedix attività minħabba tħassib dwar drittijiet fundamentali. L-inkjesta vvalutat ukoll il-monitoraġġ tal-konformità tad-drittijiet fundamentali f’ritorni sfurzati u l-gwida tal-Frontex għall-proċess tal-iskrinjar ta’ individwi mingħajr dokumenti li jaqsmu jew jippruvaw jaqsmu fruntiera esterna tal-UE b’mod irregolari.

Abbażi tal-inkjesta, l-Ombudsman stabbiliet serje ta’ suġġerimenti lill-Frontex, bil-għan li ttejjeb ir-responsabbiltà tagħha. L-Ombudsman tinkoraġġixxi lill-Frontex sabiex tkun trasparenti b’mod proattiv b’rabta mal-pjanijiet operazzjonali u l-analiżi tad-drittijiet fundamentali li fuqhom id-Direttur Eżekuttiv tagħha jibbaża d-deċiżjonijiet li jniedi, jissospendi jew jittermina l-operazzjonijiet. Hi tissuġġerixxi li l-Frontex toħroġ struzzjonijiet speċifiċi għat-“timijiet tal-iskrinjar” li jwettqu l-intervisti tar-rifuġjati. L-Ombudsman tinkoraġġixxi wkoll lill-Frontex li ttejjeb il-monitoraġġ tar-ritorni sfurzati li fihom dawk li jeskortaw lill-persuni rimpatrijati jkunu persunal tal-Frontex u li jiggarantixxu rappurtar aħjar tal-operazzjonijiet ta’ monitoraġġ.