US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called the Sino-Russian veto a travesty while one opposition leader described the

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.

Ja nua ry 2012 Frontex Monthly Newsletter

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

Syria Descends Towards Civil War

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

The Border Post January 2012

EU, Russia Plan to Liberalise Visas

Euro 2012 Could Boost Border Crossings by 1 Million

Poland estimates that the upcoming Euro 2012 football tournament will boost the number of travellers crossing its borders by between 500,000 and 1 million. The tournament will take place in Poland and Ukraine from June 8 to July 1. The opening match will be in Warsaw, and the final in the Ukrainian capital Kiev. Polands Gazeta Wyborcza quoted the Border Guard Chief Major Justin Szmidt-Sin as saying, The result of the draw for the tournament qualifying groups means that Poland will play Russia, so on the border between Russia and Belarus there may be intense crossborder traffic. A particularly busy period is predicted between June 21 and June 24, the Euro 2012 quarter-final stage, when the teams will move between Poland and Ukraine. A spokeswoman for the tournament said the primary mode of transport will be by plane, or occasionally train, rather than by coach. At the four largest crossing points between Poland and Ukraine, in Dorohusk, Hrebenne, Medici and Korczowa, special green Nothing to Declare lanes will be created for travelling fans.

Council of the European Union

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.

The Border Post January 2012

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.

Europol Arrests Dozens over PanEuropean Child Pornography Ring

Europol reported that police in 22 European countries have identified 269 suspects and made 112 arrests in connection with the conduct of an online child pornography investigation named Operation Icarus. According to Ron Wainwright, Europols director, the investigation is ongoing and further arrests are expected. Speaking at a news conference held at Europols headquarters in The Hague on December 16, Mr Wainwright said that, the operation targeted those sharing the most extreme forms of video material, which included babies and toddlers being sexually abused and raped. The Associated Press news agency says that 19 men, aged 24-55, were arrested in Denmark, where police collected a huge amount of evidence for examination. Denmarks chief of police, Jens Henrik Hoejbjerg, said that in total 59 computers and 2,430 storage devices had been seized, containing the equivalent of 9,000 hours of video images.

The Border Post January 2012

Denmark Loses 27 Consulates as it Takes Over EU Presidency

Denmark has been left without consulates in 27 countries after the outgoing government decided to cancel cooperative agreements with other Schengen-area countries. Under previous agreements, consulates and embassies of other Schengen countries processed visa applications for Denmark according to a common set of rules. But last year, the Danish Immigration Ministry demanded that cooperating consulates begin forwarding visa applications to the Danish police for oversight on the grounds of national security. Germany and Finland refused the request on the grounds that it contravened Schengen rules and added extra bureaucracy. France soon followed, leaving Denmark without consular representation in 27 countries, including Bahrain, Qatar and Nigeria. The Copenhagen Post quoted Eric Bosc, a spokesman for Frances Foreign Ministry, as saying, Our view is that you either respect the common rules for the procedures, or else you find another possibility.

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.

France Expels Record Number of Migrants

France expelled the highest number of irregular migrants on record in 2011, the As-

Danish EU Presidency Outlines Border Priorities

D
enmark has made border security one of its four big priorities as it takes over the rotating EU presidency. It will hold the position for six months, from January to June 2012. Last years uprisings in Tunisia, Libya, Egypt and parts of the Middle East, prompted large-scale immigration to Europe. The Danish Presidency says it is keen to improve the way the EUs external borders are managed. It has pledged to strengthen the borders of the passport-free Schengen area and finalise the common EU asylum system. Denmark says it also plans to press on with membership negotiations with Turkey, to conclude accession talks with Serbia and to start discussions with Montenegro.

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.

The Border Post January 2012

Malta University Hosts Training Conference

K
ey actors in the field of border guard education and training gathered for the First Conference on European Curricula for Border Guard Mid-level and High-level Education on 29 30 November 2011. The conference, hosted in the historic premises of the University of Malta, Valletta, one of the newest Frontex Partnership Academies, aimed to promote exchange of information on existing curricula and study programmes within Border Guard education and training organisations, to steer reflections and common understanding on the European dimension of the future curricula development in the field of Border Guarding, and to raise the need for the implementation of common core elements at national levels, in the light of the Bologna and Copenhagen processes. The Conference offered the unique opportunity to bring together training experts and other specialists in education, as well as decision makers from border guard training organisations, academies and universities, drivers of the Member States educational strategies and standards, as well as those directly involved in their implementation at expert level. About 80 experts from all Member States and Schengen-Associated Countries (SACs) as well as partner organisations (including the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, the Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces, DCAF, and Europol) shared their interests and require-

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.

The Border Post January 2012

Sub-Saharan Migrants Left in Political Limbo in Libya

T
he U.S. National Public Radio network reported that thousands of subSaharan Africans are either stranded in Libya, or being held in makeshift detention centres following the revolt against Muammar Gaddafi. Many have been reportedly imprisoned and abused, having been accused of being mercenaries in Gaddafis army. While Gaddafi did reprotedly pay or conscript sub-Saharan Africans to fight for him, many others in Libya are simply workers who have been caught up in events according to a variety of media reports. According to Jeremy Haslam, the International Organisation for Migrations (IOM) mission chief in Libya, there is a perception that sub-Saharan Africans are in some way or form associated with the previous regime and, indeed, potentially they could be mercenaries. And unfortunately, all sub-Saharans are branded with that same stigma. Haslam said that while the IOM has evacuated hundreds of thousands of foreign workers, the situation is still dire for the many that remain.

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.

EASO Acts on Overcrowding

The European Asylum Support Office (EASO), a recently created EU agency that coordinates European countries asylum work, is now actively involved in improving conditions at Europes refugee camps, especially on the Greek-Turkish border. Chris Folden, EASO team coordinator, said 13 support teams have been sent to Greece so far and that progress has already been achieved there, for example in handling asylum-seekers complaints. According to Folden, progress on asylum work requires more legislation and concrete cooperation was required at the EU level.

Union Claims Airport Security Lapse

Representatives of the UKs Immigration Service Union said that as many as half the replacement staff who worked at airports during a recent public sector strike, during which 80% to 90% of its members stopped work, lacked the required level of security clearance and had not undergone the relevant vetting procedure. UK Immigration Minister Damian Green rejected the claim, but said the concerns expressed by the Immigration Service Union would be investigated.

Kosovo Opposition Renews Threats to Roadblock BCPs T

he nationalist opposition in Kosovo has warned it may start erecting roadblocks to stop vehicles crossing over from Serbia. The opposition Vetevendosje [Self-Determination] movement says it may start erecting blockades at the northeast Merdare border crossing and on the southeast Dheu i Bardhe border. The roadblocks will be aimed at upholding a recent parliamentary motion advocating a trade ban with Serbia. In the Serb-run part of northern Kosovo, roads have been blocked for sev-

Interpol: Close EU Border Loophole or Risk Attack

In an interview for UK daily newspaper The Independent, Interpol Secretary General Ronald Noble criticised EU Member States for failing to check passports against the international police agencys database of lost and stolen travel documents, saying this practice increases the vulnerability of mainland Europe to a major terrorist attack. An EU Commission source confirmed that while no systematic checks are conducted against Interpols records, Schengen area

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.

US Builds Sea Fence

News agency AFP reported that the US is building a 90-meter barrier that will extend into the Pacific to prevent irregular migrants from using a low-tide route to enter southern California from Mexico. The barriers due to be completed in March 2012.

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.

The Border Post January 2012

Tensions Rise As Refugees and Violence Spill Over Turkish-Syrian Border

T
he Cilvegozu border crossing used to be a major trade route between Turkey and Syria a key frontier on the land journey between Europe and the Middle East. Now security concerns have reduced the flow of people and goods to a trickle. The few vehicles coming from Syria bear testament to the violence beyond the frontier. The latest arrivals are two cars bearing Saudi Arabian license plates. The doors and windows are ridden with bullet holes; the rear windscreen of one car is completely shot out. The Turkish occupants had been travelling back to their jobs in Saudi Arabia when they came under attack just a few kilometers into Syria. One of the drivers, Nesim Zeytinci, described what happened. We were driving in Syria, he said. As we went over a bridge, we were attacked by some gunmen but we dont know who they were. We sped off for around 500 meters under fire, then we turned off into a local neighborhood and the people there helped us. An ambulance came to take the injured passenger to hospital. There is now a permanent queue of trucks waiting on the Turkish side; drivers say sometimes it stretches 10 kilometers as transport firms become increasingly

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

The Border Post January 2012

Israel Approves Unlimited Detention for Undocumented Immigrants from Egypt

R
euters reported that in a move heavily criticised by refugee groups and activists, the Israeli parliament has passed a number of amendments to existing legislation that will allow migrants who cross the countrys borders illegally to be detained indefinitely, subject to periodic reviews by an administrative judge. The amendments will also permit the authorities to jail anyone who helps migrants enter Israel illegally. Israeli lawmakers argue that such action is necessary in order to stem a marked rise in the numbers of people illegally entering the country from Egypt in recent months. According to government figures, 2,000 crossed the border from Egypt in November alone, bringing the total number of migrants in the country to 51,000, up from 33,000 at the end of 2010. Government ministers say most migrants are not refugees but are simply seeking to improve their standard of living while placing an excessive strain on the countrys social services. Cabinet minister Matan Vilani went as far as to call the migrants, a real threat to the State of Israel. In a related development, The Jerusalem Post reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has told ministerial colleagues from his Likud party that he intends to strengthen barriers along his countrys border with Jordan by building a new security fence along the 238-kilometer boundary. The project is expected to cost some EUR 120 million. Israel is already in the process of erecting a giant barrier along its 240-kilometre border with Egypts Sinai peninsula and Netanyahu said he feared that once it was completed, irregular migrants would simply head for the less fortified Jordanian border. The new fence would also help to prevent smuggling across the border with Jordan, he said. According to Israeli government data, the number of migrants crossing Israels border illegally has been on the increase in recent years. In 2011, a total of 16,816 Africans entered Israel illegally from Egypt while in December alone authorities reported 2,931 illegal border crossings.

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.

Indonesia: Migrant Boat Sinks with 250 on Board

A boat packed with 250 Iranian and Afghan migrants sank off Indonesia in bad weather in December. The incident happened on December 17 as the migrants departed from the southern coast of Java in a fibreglass vessel, heading for the remote Australian territory of Christmas Island. France 24 reported that high seas hampered the rescue effort, with strong currents and waves of up to five metres. The survivors had been hanging on to six life vests and floating in the sea for around five hours before fishermen found and rescued them, Indonesian official Kelik Purwanto told the AFP news agency. According to them, they had flown from Dubai to Jakarta and took buses to an unidentified location in Java to board the boat. They said they were heading to Christmas Island. Thousands of asylum seekers head through southeast Asian countries on their way to Australia every year. Many pay peoplesmugglers for the dangerous sea voyage. Survivors said they and the other passengers had paid agents between USD 2,500 and USD 5,000 for help seeking asylum in Australia. Local government officials said the boat had a capacity of about 100 people. More than 5,500 people are currently being held in either immigration detention centres or in community detention in Australia.

Three Migrants Die of Exposure at Greek Border

The bodies of three irregular migrants were recovered by police on Greeces northern land border with Turkey. Deutsche Presse reported that the dead included a 12-year old boy and his mother, both of Iranian descent. The third body was a male of African origin believed to be between the ages of 25 and 30. Greek authorities believe all three died due to hypothermia as they tried to cross the Evros River that separates the two countries. The Greek government is pushing ahead with plans to build a fence along part of the same border section.

The Border Post January 2012

Brazil Ecstasy Haul Points to New Smuggling Routes and Narco-Tourism

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

US Adds 513 Miles of Fence to Southern Border

Since 2006, the United States has added 513 miles of new fencing to its southern land boundary with Mexico, raising to 649 miles the total length of border that has some form of man-made barrier The

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.

Washington Post reported.

Sikh Loses Turban Case

A British Sikh who attempted to sue the Polish Border Guard after being made to remove his turban at Warsaws Okecie airport for routine security checks last year lost his case on the grounds that passenger safety is paramount. Shaminder Puri said he was educated in Warsaw and had travelled to and from Poland many times without facing such problems before.

The Border Post January 2012

10

Visa Information System Goes Live

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.

The Border Post January 2012

11

Evros Region Remains Hot-Spot in Q3, 2011

O
ver 38 000 migrants were detected crossing illegally into the EU in the third quarter of 2011 (Q3), which constitutes an 11% increase in comparison to the same period last year. Consistent with recent trends, the majority of migrants entered the EU in a small number of hotspots such as land border between Greece and Turkey in the Evros region and the Italian island of Lampedusa in the Central Mediterranean. Afghan nationals remain the top nationality and in Q3 2011 represented almost a quarter of all irregular migrants detected at the EU external borders. Moreover, in Q3 2011 there was a seven-fold increase in the number of Pakistani nationals, who now rank second. The intelligence gathered suggests that most of the migrants from Pakistan are young, educated men from the North Eastern part of the country who were unemployed in their country. Most were headed to Germany, Belgium, Italy, the UK and France. Another new trend is a ten-fold increase, in comparison with Q3 2010, in the number of Nigerians, who were detected mostly in Italy. tections, followed by nationals of Pakistan. Greece remains a transit country for most migrants, who tend to move on from there to other Member States. In Q3 increasing numbers of migrants were detected illegally re-entering Schengen from the Western Balkans (in particular from Serbia to Hungary and from Croatia to Slovenia), crossing the Ionian Sea to southern Italy or using false documents on intra-Schengen flights from Greece to other EU countries.

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-

The Border Post January 2012

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Detections reported by Member States, thousands of persons

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)