EU border chief pledges transparency, no illegal pushbacks

BRUSSELS (AP) — The new executive director of European Union border agency Frontex pledged Thursday to ensure that illegal pushbacks of migrants trying to reach Europe wouldn't take place under his watch.

Hans Leijtens was appointed as a replacement for Fabrice Leggeri, who resigned last year following media allegations that the agency was involved in that practice. A report by EU anti-fraud watchdog OLAF into Frontex later concluded that employees from the agency were involved in covering up pushbacks of migrants from Greece to Turkey.

Pushbacks — forcing would-be refugees away from a border before they can reach a country and claim asylum — are considered violations of international refugee protection agreements, which say people shouldn’t be expelled or returned to a country where their life and safety might be in danger because of their race, religion, nationality or being members of a social or political group.

“Pushbacks by Frontex officers are not legal. They are forbidden," Leijtens said during a news conference with Ylva Johansson, the EU commissioner for home affairs. “I'm responsible for the fact that my people don't participate in ... pushbacks."

Leijtens will start his new job on March 1.

According to the OLAF report made public in October, top managers at Frontex committed “serious misconduct and other irregularities” in covering up pushback incidents, not investigating them or not handling them correctly.

Leijtens said “there is nothing secret about Frontex" and that he would promote a nothing-to-hide attitude while improving transparency and putting an end to “defensive attitudes."

“We can't do our work when we are not trusted," he said.

Leijtens' nomination comes as the EU's 27 member countries struggle to make progress in discussions over a...