+++ Frontex expands border patrol +++ Pagani still works as
closed detention centre +++ Frontex-interviewers replaces Medicines
Sans Frontiers +++ marks of Noborder are still to be found everywhere
[w2eu.net] When you walk along the port of Mitilini, the capital of Lesvos
island, you can hardly oversee that you are moving in a militarized zone
of migrant-hunters. The greek coast-guard and the European border
agency Frontex are even more
obviously present than last year. The ship of the
Rumanian coast guard (a lot of people might know it from last years
Noborder-activities) looks small and almost friendly besides the more
than double-sized grey vessel, named “Arago” from France. The “Arago”
participated already in September 2008 in the Frontex-Mission Nautilus
between Lampedusa and Malta. Even too big to be placed in the closed
part of the port, it has to be parked in front of the Blue Sea Hotel.
Sometimes it is also “hiding” near Petra on Lesvos’ north coast, the
main arrival coast of the last years. In the main port in Mitilini the
coast-guard is again present and the small hunting-speed-boats that had
shown their manoeuvring in the harbours action last August as well.
After an incident with the Maltesian Frontex-crew in March (the whole
crew had been deported to Malta after
being involved in a fist-fight in a nightclub) the 30-headed
Frontex crew, seem to have order to be calmer, when moving into the
city. They are more open for public relations than last year and try to
show a more human profile, while protecting Europe from the attacks
as they claim. (more on w2eu.net)
of criminal migrants
