Frontex is a European Agency established for the management and control of the borders of the European Union, in particular the maritime ones with the aim of stemming the phenomena of illegal immigration, illicit trade, in particular that of human beings towards the countries of the Union .
The Agency was founded by decree of the European Council 2007/2004 and began to exist on October 3, 2005 with operational headquarters in Warsaw.
In 2008, the Agency's budget was doubled to 70 million euros, of which 31 million were destined only for patrol missions of the maritime borders, in the Mediterranean and in the Atlantic Ocean.
In August 2013, in addition to cash funds, the agency was equipped with 26 helicopters, 22 planes, 113 ships and radar equipment to be used for any rejections.
However, where the naval means and the air means are located is not known, nor is it known which countries of the Union provide the means or whether the naval air fleet is constantly in action or part of it at least in the condition of "combat ready ”to carry out the main institutional task, that of patrolling and eventual rejection. Instead, it is presumable that they are numbers written without any objective correspondence.
A structure, therefore, on paper, potentially effective, but which in fact has never operated either independently or jointly with other naval and air units of other countries such as Italy, committed to defending and monitoring the southern borders of Europe.
An absence that we have had occasion to stigmatize since the beginning of the "Arab Spring" when the massive migration of populations from North and Sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East began.
Not only the absence of means in the contingency areas, but also of super-paid Frontex officials, paid personnel with stratospheric daily allowances in addition to the salary if "commanded" to operate outside the permanent office (300-400 Euros per day). It does not appear, however, that no one has ever carried out operational activities and has ever embarked on the ships of Mare Nostrum or has been stationed in the operations rooms at least only to monitor the situation.
There is no information even if "Frontex experts" carry out any analysis activity, essential for drawing up an effective contingency planning, indispensable for activating in real time adequate operational devices to defend the borders of the European Union, increasingly threatened by uncontrolled migratory flows among which cells ready for terrorist actions could infiltrate.
Even in the face of the emergency of recent months, Frontex has not activated itself, also ignoring the great tragedies of the sea that have involved migrants fleeing from North Africa on many occasions.
Only the Italians "good people" continue alone to patrol the Mediterranean borders of Europe, committing themselves economically and risking the lives of their military personnel and civilian volunteers to save those fleeing from extermination and starvation from the sea.
They do so after having "invented" an operation entrusted to military means and called Mare Nostrum. An activity carried out by men with stars using military means. An intervention not well characterized as a military operation designed to control and defend the borders of a nation.
Mare Nostrum, in fact, is neither a "war" operation (ie war itself), nor a peace support operations (PSO's) in the various facets of peace keeping and peace enforcement.
It could be part of the MOOTW (military operations other than war) activities which take the form of a civil-military cooperation (CIMIC), which however does not include, as in this case, a generalized activity of "safeguarding life at sea" and not even an intervention physiological for "public calamities".
Instead, it is only a humanitarian initiative, invented in the wake of tragic episodes with the death of hundreds of migrants drowned in front of Lampedusa, a tragedy that Frontex has so far ignored, confirming that the European Union prefers to delegate the management to others. of significant problems concerning the control of their southern borders.
A look out of the window while having at least on paper Agencies set up for this specific purpose with absolutely relevant costs. Brussels speaks of hospitality but does not implement what would be necessary to make the good intentions real. Frontex, on the other hand, remained inactive despite the biblical emergency to be addressed and the 650 million euros spent in the years since its constitution.
Suddenly, however, a radiant Italian interior minister informed that Mare Nostrum will shortly be replaced by "Frontex Plus". An operation with not well defined connotations that will accompany or integrate Mare Nostrum, entrusted to an "enhanced Frontex (Plus)". Ambiguous definition when it will be difficult to strengthen what does not currently exist.
Minister Alfano's satisfaction took everyone by surprise as it is clearly an expression of a political success in Europe which perhaps does not exist or at least is only a hypothesis on paper but does not have, as far as is known, already allocated economic resources. and much less operational means.
The only certainty is that only three or four countries of the Union have so far declared their willingness to participate and it seems that the initial hypotheses agreed in Brussels just last week have already been questioned. Perhaps some German, Spanish or French offshore boats will join our warships to help us recover the migrants from the boats, but Italy will certainly remain the land of landing.
A success that of the honorable Alfano or the umpteenth "pat on the back" to our poor Italy that every day loses more and more of sovereignty and credibility?
Let's get ready to witness yet another "ectoplasm" of politics!
Fernando Termentini
(photo: Ministry of Interior archive)
