European Union Border and
Coast Guard Agency Frontex said Tuesday that it is launching a
new pool of experts who will support the return of migrants
across the EU.
The return pool will ultimately consist of 690 return
monitors, return escorts and return specialists.
Frontex said the new pool will be especially important for
Greece and Italy, which are taking the brunt of the
Mediterranean asylum-seeker crisis.
Return specialists will support identification of irregular
migrants and acquisition of travel documents, including
cooperation with consular authorities of countries of origin of
returnees.
Return escorts will support national escort officers during
return operations coordinated by Frontex. Return monitors will
carry out independent monitoring of return operations to ensure
compliance with fundamental rights.
All the experts will be able to identify persons in need of
protection and refer them to the competent national authorities.
"Our ability to draw on a pool of qualified return officers
and experts will help increase efficiency and provide already
overstretched national authorities with much needed support,"
said Frontex Executive Director Fabrice Leggeri.
"This is particularly important in Greece and Italy, which
received record numbers of migrants last year".
The return pool will also include specialists in the
protection of children's rights.
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