EU does NOT need 'USELESS' border force claims Czech Prime Minister
EUROPE does not need a border force because member states have their own coastguard and customs services, according to outspoken Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis.
Mr Babis dismissed the Frontex European Border Guard Agency as “obsolete” and described it as a “useless parallel institution”.
He said the cash used to fund Frontex could be put to better use by the EU border countries.
Mr Babis said: "The cost of Frontex now amounts to around 1.7 billion euros and now the European Commission is proposing to make it 10 billion.
“I am convinced that Greece Italy, Malta or Spain do not need Frontex – I have spoken to them about it."
Why are we pouring money into a parallel force when these countries have their own border guards?
He continued: “One would need to ask Bulgaria and Romania whether they need Frontex.
“Because we need to ask ourselves why we are pouring money into a parallel force when these countries have their own border guards.
“Of course if Frontex operated outside the EU it would be a different matter.”
He has previously criticised Frontex for allegedly doing too little to guard EU borders during the migrant crisis, despite receiving large sums of money to do so.
Greece and Italy have been on the frontline off the EU migrant crisis since 2015 and have accused Brussels of failing to do enough to help them tackle the problem.
Around 2 million migrants have made their way into Europe from the Middle East and North Africa since the crisis began.
Mr Babis said EU funds should also be used to reach agreement with North African countries to prevent migration for economic reasons and create conditions which would allow migrants to stay in their home countries.
He said it was essential to help Syrian refugees return home by securing lasting peace and helping to fund the reconstruction of the country.
Slovak Prime Minister Peter Pellegrini said he backed Mr Babis’s view that it would be more sensible to give the money directly to Italy, Malta, Greece, Spain or Portugal, for them to strengthen their own borders.
He suggested Frontex could be transformed into a co-ordinating, administrative body.
Mr Pellegrini said: “We must choose such solutions where the bulk of the money goes where it is effective and is not eaten up by administrating bodies.”
The two leaders were speaking at a joint Czech-Slovak meeting in Kosice, eastern Slovakia, ahead of the EU Summit in Salzburg where immigration is high on the agenda.
The praised co-operation within the Visegrad Group of Central European countries, noting the V4 represents the interests of 65 million EU citizens in Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic and Slovakia.
The joint session was held to discuss celebrations marking the centenary of Czechoslovakia in October, bilateral relations and Visegrad Group priorities.
The tradition of holding an annual joint session of the two countries' governments was established in 2012.
(Additional reporting by Maria Ortega)