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move a licence to kill in the restive city of Homs and other strongholds of the Free Syria Army (FSA) the de facto opposition force manned mainly by army defectors. One FSA representative told the BBC that morale had collapsed among government forces, who he said knew they were killing civilians.
Where Next?
As Assads government becomes increasingly isolated politically, and the UN remains effectively stonewalled, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoan was among the local leaders seeking action against Assad. Having earlier publically declared Turkeys doors open to all and any Syrian refugees, Erdoan promised a new initiative aimed at galvanising, those
In this issue:
2 EU, Russia in Visa Talks
UN
countries who stand by the Syrian people, not the regime. Whether such an initiative will prove too little too late remains a question for time to answer. But UN secretary General Ban Ki-Moon voiced fears for the worst in Syria. Speaking at the UN in New York, he said, I fear that the appalling brutality we are witnessing in Homs, with heavy weapons firing into civilian neighbourhoods, is a grim harbinger of worse to come. The latest available figures on those who have fled the country put the numbers of refugees at the Turkish, Lebanese and Jordanian borders at around, 9,500, 6,000 and 2,500 respectively, though Frontexs Risk Analysis Unit said the displacements had yet to translate into increased migratory pressure, with only a slight increase in Syrian nationals recorded. But with Turkey still by far the main conduit for irregular migration into Europe, the potential for increased border traffic remains a possible scenario on the horizon for decision makers.
4 Denmark Outlines Presidency Priorities 5 Experts Discuss HighLevel Curricula Plans 7 Tensions Rise on Border between Turkey and Syria 8 Israeli Govt Approves Indefininite Detention 10 VIS Goes Live
ilitary bombardment of the Syrian city of Homs was continuing for a fifth day at press time amid intensified calls on
final bid to secure a political solution, international pressure mounted as the worlds TV networks broadcast images of Russian-made tanks advancing in the rebel stronghold. Hundreds of Homs residents were reported dead or wounded throughout almost a week of relentless shelling, which many see as an overture to an all-out assault by ground forces to snuff out dissent. The UN stopped issuing casualty estimates after they reached 5,000 saying the figures were too hard to verify.
embattled leader President Bashar al-Assad to step down. Condemnation of an assault that one witness described as savage intensified after a UN Security Council resolution was blocked by
Edited by Information&Transparency Contact: border.post@frontex.europa.eu Frontex 2012
Russia and China leading the country ever closer to a full-blown civil war according to observers in the region. But even as Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov visited the Syrian leader in a
he EU and the Russian Federation are making progress towards introducing visa-free travel for their citizens. At an EU-Russia summit held in Brussels in December and attended by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev as well as European Comission President Jos Manuel Barroso, Russia and the European Union agreed on a number of common steps, such as the introduction of biometric passports and the prevention of illegal migration, which are considered prerequisites for the abolition of visas. Reporting on the meeting, EurActiv quoted Jos Manuel Barroso as saying the decision had, clear potential ben-
efits for our citizens and for people-topeople contacts. According to Euromag.ru, the European Union is planning to sign a document that would simplify existing visa requirements. Michael Webb, charge daffaires of the EU delegation to Russia, reportedly said that an agreement easing visa procedures for periods of up to 90 days could be signed as early as the first half of 2012. EU Member States and Schengen zone participants Sweden and Poland already intend to ease visa procedures with Russia. This year, Poland is scheduled to cohost the Euro 2012 football championships
with Ukraine. Tourists will be able to submit visa documents in March of this year. If tourists present their tickets for football matches, their documents will be prepared much faster. Even if a person does not have a ticket, their visas will be arranged faster than usual, officials promised. In addition, Polish authorities said at the beginning of December that Poland would be ready to issue five-year Schengen visas to Russian tourists who had at least two expired Schengen visas. Sweden has promised that from February 1, visas will be processed within three working days and more of an effort will be made to issue multi-entry visas to Russians.
Commission Adopts New Italy and Libya to Revive Rules on Use of Full Body Bilateral Friendship Treaty Scanners at EU Airports S
T
he European Commission adopted a proposal for the introduction of a European Union legal framework on security scanners in mid-November, the European Commission announced in a press release. The aim of the legislation is to enable airports and Member States that wish to use security scanners for the screening of passengers to do so, provided certain strict operational and technical conditions are satisfied. Previously, security scanners have been used under various national operational procedures and standards and to a limited extent. Under a common EU-wide framework, Member States and airports would be permitted to replace current security systems with security scanners. The proposed legislation would also ensure the uniform application of security rules at all airports and provide strict and mandatory safeguards concerning fundamental rights and the protection of health. Member States and airports will not be obliged to deploy security scanners, but if they decide to use them, they will have to comply with operational conditions and performance standards set at the European level. Under the proposed EU legislation, the use of security scanners would only be allowed if certain minimum conditions are met, such as that, for example, such scanners do not store, retain, copy, print or retrieve images and that an image will not be linked to a particular screened person. Passengers will have to be informed about the conditions under which a security scanner control takes place. In addition, passengers will be given the right to opt out of a control with scanners and be subject to an alternative method of screening. In related news, Greek daily To Vima reports that more and more scientists are expressing concern about the use of body scanners at airports, claiming that their use may increase the risk of cancer. The newspaper cites Professor David Brenner, head of the center of radiological investigations at New York Columbia University, as saying that more research is needed to determine the exact risk posed by scanning the entire body with X-rays. Brenner believes body scanners may expose people to a greater risk of developing a common form of skin cancer known as basal cell carcinoma. The UKs Civil Aviation (Civil Aviation Authority, CAA) however dismissed the claims, arguing that the technology used at all British airports is completely safe. According to the CAA, the scanners recently installed at Londons Heathrow and Gatwick airports and Manchester Airport have passed all the applicable safety tests and meet the relevant requirements imposed by the Health Protection Agency. peaking after a meeting with Mustafa Abdel Jalil, the head of Libyas National Transitional Council, Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti said Italy and Libya were ready to reactivate their treaty of friendship. He added that Rome was ready to unblock as soon as possible frozen Libyan funds. The friendship agreement was signed in 2008 between erstwhile Libyan leader Col. Muammar Gaddafi and then Italian Prime Minister Silvio Burlusconi. It effectively stopped irregular migration by sea on the Central Mediterranean route, though it attracted fierce criticism from human rights groups. Prior to the uprising which deposed him,
Gaddafi demanded EUR 5 billion to maintain the status quo threatening to turn Europe black otherwise. In retaliation for Italys backing of NATO airstrikes, the former Libyan regime is believed to have sent migrants to sea by force. During the Arab Spring uprisings, 28,000 people are reported to have fled Libya to Italy in 2011, the majority of them nationals of other African countries. A similar a number arrived in Italy from Tunisia. It is also estimated that as many as 2,200 people may have drowned while attempting sea crossings in the Strait of Sicily over the same period.
BRIEFS
European Biometrics Association launched
The European Association for Biometrics (EAB), representing key organisations from 10 different European countries and marking the culmination of over a decade of intense work on biometrics within Europe, held its inaugural meeting in December. While acting as an independent and distinctly European biometrics platform engaging in the exchange of information worldwide, the organisation intends to maintain strong ties with European insti Council of the European Union
tutions such as governments, the European Commission, the European Parliament and Frontex as well as industry.
sociated Press (AP) news agency reported. Some 32,912 illegally staying third-country nationals were expelled in 2011, up 17.5 percent from 2010. AP quoted Interior Minister Claude Gueant as saying, This result is 5,000 higher than the initial objective decided upon at the start of the year. It is the highest result ever achieved. Mr Gueant said the government wants the figure to rise to 35,000 in 2012. Anti-racism group SOS Racisme called the figures numbers of shame. France will hold presidential elections later this year.
ments for the development of common EU curricula, exploring together how these needs could be addressed at EU level, and how Frontex could support the national implementation of common training tools and concepts while also reflecting the EU dimension of border guard training. During the two-day conference, the Bologna and Copenhagen processes were scrutinised by academics as a strategic framework for European education and training, while during the panel sessions border guard experts discussed the implications of the Bologna/Copenhagen principles to Border Guard Education and the added value for the harmonisation of educational standards at EU level. The concept of Sectoral Qualifications Framework for Border Guarding (SQF) was introduced as a comprehensive and flexible platform for competence-based EU curricula development allowing the integration of common core elements at national levels for both academic and vocational Border Guard education and training systems, ensuring the compatibility and comparability of border guard qualifications acquired through various types of study programmes existing at national level. Furthermore, Frontex plans to develop a Joint Degree Study Programme at European level were shared with the participants, as well as the lessons learnt by the Member States from the implementation of the CCC, which was reported as a definite success by the respective MS speakers. The First Conference on European Curricula can be seen as a further milestone on the road to shaping the future of border guard education and training, in or-
der to create a flexible but comprehensive framework for EU mid-level and high-level border guards to study together and contribute to the development of a common EU culture of the border guard profession.
Border Guard work is an E-wide activity and requires an EU approach. Common legislation, common tasks and responsibilities, common values and ethics need a common approach to border management and a harmonised internalisation of European values at the individual level. Working together to protect EU external borders requires a high degree of interoperability, in all aspects, from communication to technology, from working procedures and methods to common language and common understanding of the law and its application, and ultimately of the border guard mission. Frontex supports training and education of national border guards through the establishment of common training standards at European level. Together with the MSs/SACs, Frontex has successfully developed common core curricula for border guard training that have been adopted and implemented into national training systems in line with the common training principles and the training philosophy of Frontex, promoting a common European border guard culture.
BRIEFS
Poland Sees Rise in Asian Migrants
According to officials from the Polish Border Guard, there has been a sharp rise in attempts at illegal border crossings in the Bieszczady region of the country, along with a marked increase in the number of irregular migrants now coming from Asia, especially Vietnam. In 2011, a total of 150 people were detained during the period from January to early November in connection with 109 attempts to illegally cross the border.
eral months by local Serbs protesting over the presence of Kosovo government police and customs officers on the contested border with Serbia. Balkan Insight quoted Vetevendosje Vice-President Shpend Ahmeti, who warned, The financial crisis in the EU leaves Kosovo in a very unstable position and facing an unpredictable path in 2012. The Kosovo government is pressing for the EU to drop visa requirements for its citizens and eventually wants to join the EUs passport-free Schengen area.
countries use their own database for running such checks (the Schengen Information System, SIS). The SIS, along with the Visa Information System (see p. 10) and other technical solutions including an Entry/Exit register, form the backbone of the European Commissions Smart Borders package.
wary of sending people and cargo into Syria. It is having a big impact on Turkish and European traders. There is no security and the latest information we have is that on the Syrian side of the border they dont give you your paperwork, said Mehmet Eski, who was supposed to be delivering drilling pipes to Dubai. We were here waiting for a couple of days for our Saudi visas. We finally got those, but now there is no security in Syria so we cannot go. Eskis transport company decided to reroute the shipment via Iraq a much longer route and not without its own dangers. But its not just the violence that is hitting trade. Turkey has imposed financial and travel sanctions on the Syrian government. The US and the European Union are tightening their economic sanctions on Syrian banks and oil firms. Meanwhile Syrians continue to pour across the border into Turkey to escape the bloody crackdown on anti-government protests. Over the last 12 months an estimated 19,000 refugees have arrived in Turkey. Turkish authorities say around 7,600 Syrians remain in the country, living in camps just inside the border such as the sprawling complex at a derelict factory in the town of Yayladagi.
One of the main crossing points for refugees is near the tiny Turkish village of Guvecci. The houses here cling to the hillside, overlooking a broad valley planted with olive groves. At its base is the border partly fenced but largely porous. Local people on both sides of the border use well-established smuggling routes to get people out of Syria, and to send supplies in to the opposition. But the dangers are high. Syrian lookout posts loom on the opposite hills. Several smugglers and refugees have been fired on trying to cross the border illegally. In November, 26-year-old Dr. Ibrahim Othman, a Syrian doctor who ran a network of secret clinics to treat wounded anti-government protestors, was reportedly shot dead as he tried to cross into Turkey to buy supplies. Looming over Guvecci village, a huge Turkish flag ripples in the valley winds, marking the Turkish military base that overlooks Syria. So far Ankara has refrained from getting involved in the border skirmishes, resorting instead to diplomatic pressure and unusually strong criticism of the Assad governments crackdown on protests. Some Arab countries have called for a no-fly zone to be enforced for a few miles inside the Syrian border to provide a refuge for the opposition. With Turkey vying to become a member of the European Union, Ankara knows the EU is watching carefully what happens on what could be its future frontier. With Turkey a key conduit for migrants entering Europe, the refugee crisis on the border could also have knock-on effects further west. And with little sign of an end to the Syrian crackdown, Turkey fears it could be drawn even further into the conflict over the border.
Henry Ridgwell
Henry Ridgwell
BRIEFS
Liechtenstein Becomes Member of Schengen Area
On December 19, Liechtenstein became the 26th member of the Schengen area after the Justice and Home Affairs Council decided at its December 13 meeting that the principality was able to fully apply the Schengen acquis. The decision ends internal border controls with Liechtenstein and lifts restrictions on the use of the Schengen Information System (SIS). According to Europolitics, the December 13 meeting agenda also included the accession of Bulgaria and Romania as well as the reform of Schengen area governance. The accession of Romania and Bulgaria to the Schengen area remains on hold due to concerns over the countries readiness to fully apply all membership criteria.
BRIEFS
German Federal Police to Take over Border Duties
German federal police have taken charge of border control in the port of Bremen. Previously the duties were carried out by German river police. The change, which came into force on 1st January 2012, was made by the federal government to save money. When vessels dock at Bremen or Bremerhaven, they are now boarded first by federal police officers who check the passports and visas of the crew. River police are still responsible for monitoring the vessels papers and for other policing activities in the port. Police unions deny move will save money.
Nomad_Soul - Fotolia.com
razilian police say they are confiscating record amounts of illegal synthetic drugs such as ecstasy pills, LSD and MDMA most of it smuggled from Europe. The Guardian reported that last year alone the haul of ecstasy tablets exceeded 194,000. Ten years ago the figure was just under 2,000. Police claim all the synthetic drug hauls are smuggled from overseas. Security forces say many of the drug mules, or narco-turistas as they are known locally, are wealthy Brazilians. This contrasts with
the traditional smugglers of cocaine and marijuana in Brazil, who are often poor foreigners trying to take the drugs out of the country to Europe or the US. Police say doctors, lawyers and businessmen are among the new narco-turistas. Many of them disguise their foreign trips as holidays, taking photos of famous landmarks, often in several countries, according to Brazilian police reports. A recent report by the UNs Office on Drugs and Crime (UNOCD) suggested consumption of synthetic drugs, stable
or falling in much of Europe, is on the rise in Brazil and other South American countries. Security forces say the smugglers avoid main hubs like Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paolo, preferring regional airports such as Confins in the mineral-rich state of Minas Gerais. The mules often fly via Portugal to countries like Holland and Belgium. A report by Frontex released in September claimed the narco-turistas believed they were less likely to be caught at airports such as Confins.
10
he European Unions latest largescale IT system, the Visa Information System (VIS), began operation on 11 October 2011. VIS aims to prevent visa fraud and visa shopping by applicants between EU Member States and to improve the security of checks at external border crossing points and within the territory of Member States via the collection of the biometrics of all Schengen visa holders. The VIS system is a key part of the European Commissions Smart Borders package and is the latest EU large-scale biometric-based information system to become functional.
New applicants for a VIS Schengen visa have to travel to the nearest EU consulate to give their biometric information (10 fingerprints and a facial image), which is then entered into the system and remains valid for five years. Information is centrally stored in a database in Strasbourg (with a back-up site in Austria) allowing checks to be made at border crossing points that the person holding the biometric visa is the same person who applied for it. All Schengen and Schengen-associated states will implement the system at all national consulates and official EU
border crossing points within three years of the system going live. The VIS will be rolled out in stages both when issuing visas and when checking them. All consulates of Schengen countries in visarequired countries must be ready within two years (by 11 October 2013) to issue VIS visas. At a minimum, all Schengen states having consulates in the North Africa region must now already issue biometric visas, however states are free to also issue VIS visas with or without fingerprints ahead of schedule if they notify the European Commission accordingly. The North Africa region will be followed by others the next two being the
Near East (Israel, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria), and the Gulf regions (Afghanistan, Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen). The Commission estimates that the 25 Schengen states currently issue approximately 13 million visas per year and that the database will thus contain some 70 million fingerprints when it is running at full capacity. Since 31 October, border guard services throughout the EU have been obliged at all border crossing points (BCPs) to check at least the sticker number of biometric visas issued by European consulates using this system in the first roll-out zone in North Africa. Member States (MSs) are, however, allowed to determine at national level a timetable for the roll-out of biometric (fingerprint) checks at their BCPs over the first three years of operation of the system. This effectively means that MSs are allowed, and have, very different plans for the roll-out of VIS biometric checks across their BCPs. This has obvious ramifications for smuggling and trafficking routes and modi operandi over the next three years as, while some MS implement the VIS fully, others may be faced with increased irregular flows because of a balloon effect. VIS checks at BCPs are, initially at least, likely to cause delays as the need to check fingerprints is included in the workflow. This may prove problematic at land and sea BCPs where mobile equipment will be used in a wide variety of situations and environmental conditions , for example, there is some concern over the practical security of making VIS checks while persons sit in their cars at land borders.
11
Central Mediterranean
The situation in the Central Mediterranean was highly volatile throughout 2011. The number of detections on the Italian island of Lampedusa, which was the main destination of migrants from the beginning of the year, dropped by half in comparison with the previous quarter but still amounted to over 12 000 arrivals. It is worth noting that since the National Transitional Council successfully gained control of Tripoli, the flows of migrants from Libya stopped abruptly at the beginning of August. Following the fall of the Gaddafi regime, migrants came mostly from Tunisia and Egypt. Migrants from Tunisia remain the most significant nationality with 3 370 detections, followed by some 3 000 Nigerians. The growing number of Nigerians detected at the European borders suggests that Nigerian fa-
Eastern Mediterranean
There were over 18 000 detections at the Greek-Turkish land border. Afghan nationals remain the most numerous group, accounting for to over 46% of de-
12
cilitation networks are becoming more sophisticated and consequently the numbers of migrants are likely to increase.
Other
The number of applications for international protection increased significantly in Q3 and reached over 64 000 applications across the Member States. The largest number of applications was submitted in Italy by nationals of Nigeria, Ghana, Mali and Pakistan. The number of applications submitted by nationals of Pakistan and Afghanistan also increased in other Member States, including Germany and Austria.
Western Mediterranean
Spain experienced the highest level of detections in three years, and an increase of 60% compared to year earlier, with over 3 500 detections of North African and subSaharan migrants. As a result, the Western Mediterranean became the third largest point of entry into the EU during Q3.
Illegal Border Crossings by Nationality (left) and Member State of First Entry (right)