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WORLD NEWS Friday 20 January 2023

EU border chief pledges transparency, no illegal pushbacks

By SAMUEL PETREQUIN actually support the mem-
Associated Press ber states,” she said, add-
BRUSSELS (AP) — The new ing that the agency last
executive director of Euro- year carried out the return
pean Union border agency of 25,000 people.
Frontex pledged Thursday Johansson added that
to ensure that illegal push- she will next week present
backs of migrants trying a new strategy on returns
to reach Europe wouldn’t next week before a sum-
take place under his watch. mit of EU leaders in Febru-
Hans Leijtens was ap- ary. She also exhorted EU
pointed as a replacement countries to step up their
for Fabrice Leggeri, who cooperation with Frontex
resigned last year follow- for a better management
ing media allegations that of returns.
the agency was involved Johansson cited a rise in ar-
in that practice. A report rivals to the EU by Bangla-
by EU anti-fraud watch- deshis, with most of them
dog OLAF into Frontex later not in need of international
concluded that employ- protection. She said that
ees from the agency were after Bangladesh was put
involved in covering up on a list of visas sanctions,
pushbacks of migrants from European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson, right, and new Executive Director of the local authorities improved
Greece to Turkey. European Border and Coast Guard, FRONTEX, Hans Leijtens, left, address a media conference at their cooperation and are
Pushbacks forcing would- EU headquarters in Brussels, Thursday, Jan. 19, 2023. Associated Press now open to taking back

be refugees away from a their citizens.
border before they can with Ylva Johansson, the Leijtens said “there is noth- more than two years ago. “But we are also in a situa-
reach a country and claim EU commissioner for home ing secret about Frontex” The number of attempts tion where member states
asylum are considered affairs. “I’m responsible for and that he would promote by migrants to enter the only do readmission re-
violations of international the fact that my people a nothing-to-hide attitude EU without authorization quests for approximately
refugee protection agree- don’t participate in ... push- while improving transpar- reached around 330,000 10% to 20% of the return
ments, which say people backs.” ency and putting an end to last year, the highest num- decisions” she said. “And
shouldn’t be expelled or re- Leijtens will start his new job “defensive attitudes.” ber since 2016, the EU’s when Frontex are flying
turned to a country where on March 1. “We can’t do our work border and coast guard the planes to Bangladesh
their life and safety might According to the OLAF re- when we are not trusted,” agency said last week. (...), they are not full. When
be in danger because of port made public in Oc- he said. Leijtens’ nomina- Johansson said the in- we have a political mo-
their race, religion, nation- tober, top managers at tion comes as the EU’s 27 crease is mainly due to the mentum with a third coun-
ality or being members of a Frontex committed “serious member countries struggle arrivals of citizens likely not try, it’s important that we
social or political group. misconduct and other ir- to make progress in discus- in need of international work together: (the Euro-
“Pushbacks by Frontex offi- regularities” in covering up sions over a long-delayed protection, who need to pean) Commission, Fron-
cers are not legal. They are pushback incidents, not overhaul of the bloc’s asy- be returned to their country tex, all member states, to
forbidden,” Leijtens said investigating them or not lum system proposed by of origin. really make these returns
during a news conference handling them correctly. the EU’s executive arm “Frontex is well equipped to happen.”q

‘Help’: Colombia rescues sailor adrift in Caribbean 24 days

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) authorities that his ordeal a cloth. He said Francois
— The Colombian navy began in December when was found in good health,
rescued a man from Domi- currents swept the sail- but told official he had lost
nica who says he survived boat out to sea while he weight.
24 days adrift in the Carib- was making repairs off the Francois said on the video-
bean on a sailboat by eat- island of St. Martin in the tape that he had to con-
ing ketchup, garlic powder Netherlands Antilles, where stantly remove water from
and seasoning cubes. he lives. the boat to prevent it from
Elvis Francois, 47, had “I called my friends, they sinking. He also tried to light
scrawled the word “help” tried to contact me, but a fire to send a distress sig-
in English on the boat’s hull, I lost the signal. There was nal without success.
which officials said was key nothing else to do but sit Finally, a plane passed by
to his rescue. and wait,” Francois re- and he signaled with a mir-
The sailboat was spotted called in a video released ror. He said the navy told
from the air 120 nautical by the navy. him that he was spotted
miles northwest of La Gua- He said subsisted on a bot- when the plane passed
jira peninsula and Francois tle of ketchup, garlic pow- again.
was taken to the port city der and Maggi cubes. “At some point I lost hope In this photo provided by Colombia’s Navy press office, castaway
of Cartagena by a passing Cmdr. and thought about my Elvis Francois is attended by Colombian Navy members after he
container ship, the Colom- Carlos Urbano Montes told family, but I thank the coast was rescued near the department of La Guajira, in the extreme
north of Colombia, as he sits on board the merchant ship CMA
bian navy said in a state- The Associated Press on guard. If it weren’t for them CGM Voltario at the port of Cartagena, Colombia, Monday, Jan.
ment Wednesday. Thursday that Francois said I wouldn’t be telling the 16, 2023.
Francois told Colombian he collected rainwater with story,” Francois said.q Associated Press