The head of human rights at the EU’s border force Frontex suggested the agency should reinforce its presence in trouble spots like Greece given reports of abuse against asylum seekers.
“Yes, that still makes sense in my view, in all places where we see fundamental rights issues,” said Jonas Grimheden, the agency’s fundamental rights officer, in an email on Monday (20 February), when asked in the context of Greece.
The comment appears to stand in contrast to a recent article in the New York Times. The Times story, citing confidential documents, said Grimheden had in fact recommended the agency withdraw its operations from Greece.
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Asked to comment on the veracity of the article, Grimheden remained elusive.
“The story is rather an oversimplification of things, but I don’t want to go into the details since that relates to the leverage that I have on seeing change,” he said instead.
Read more: EU Observer
