The deadly consequences of Europe’s border militarization

Syrian refugee Mustafa Mahmud, 2, stands next to a security guard at the Oncupinar camp for Syrian refugees at the border crossing with Syria, in southeastern Turkey, June 20, 2016. Emrah Gurel/Press Association. All rights reserved. 2016
now holds the sad record of the highest recorded death toll for refugees on
route to Europe.

4,900 people have died
trying to cross the Mediterranean. This is 1,000 more than in 2015, despite the
number of refugee arrivals in Europe going down by over 60%. At the same time,
EU funding to tackle the refugee tragedy has increased. Its primary border
agency’s budget increased to €238.7 million, an
incredible 67.4% increase compared to the year before. So why is EU funding
failing so dramatically to save human lives? Why is
EU funding failing so dramatically to save human lives?

To
start to examine the question, two Dutch organisations (Stop Wapenhandel and the
Transnational Institute) have been digging into
where resources are being invested. Research shows that a large part
of the extra money for Frontex, which was transformed into a European Border
and Coast Guard Agency, went to its military maritime missions Triton and
Poseidon, to stop refugees crossing the Aegean Sea and the Mediterranean to
Greece and Italy.

It
also showed that the main EU funding instrument for member states' border
security, the Internal Security Fund, was also reinforced with an extra €116.4
million reaching a total budget of €647.5 million for 2016. On top of that came
additional money for several 'emergency funding' grants. In September, the
European Commission awarded a
large sum, €108 million,
to Bulgaria. Around 80% of this was to be used for border
surveillance equipment and border guards. Around
80% was to be used for border surveillance equipment and border guards.

The
emphasis of the European Union has been focused on keeping refugees out. This
has also been reflected in the migration deal with Turkey. Since the agreement
was signed in March, Turkey has dramatically stepped up security at its border
with Syria. In spite of a commitment by the Turkish government to live up to
international obligations, there are repeated
reports of violence against Syrian refugees, including shootings and
beatings. Other refugees have been bussed back to the Syrian side of the
border.

This
development can also be seen in the military 'Operation Sophia' run on the
coast of Libya, which received additional support from NATO. This operation trains Libyan
coastguards, who have a reported history of violence against
refugees. In spite of this, the EU wants the Libyan Coast Guard to halt
refugees before leaving Libyan waters, in a deliberate attempt to avoid EU
obligations under the international law of non-refoulement (ie not returning
refugees to places where their lives or freedoms are threatened).

The
European Commission argues that these and many other measures help deter
refugees from making dangerous journeys. Vice-President Timmermans said:
“Increasing our ability to better manage migration flows has two fundamental
aims: to make sure that all those who need protection will receive it, and to
avoid loss of life.” The European Commission argues
that these measures deter refugees from making dangerous journeys.

Certainly,
increased patrols in the Aegean Sea have caused a quick fall in numbers of
refugees trying to cross to Greece. However, this has merely led refugees to
use other, often more dangerous, routes, contributing to the increase in
migrant deaths that we have seen in 2016. “The causes of the increase are
multiple: about half those who have crossed the Mediterranean so far this year
have travelled from North Africa to Italy – a known more perilous route”, according to
UNHCR spokesperson William Spindler.

Where
refugees are able to survive and get to the EU, the focus on militarisation of
borders has augmented the hostility and violence towards them. Uncensored
incident reports from Frontex suggest Greek and European police
forces routinely use firearms to stop refugee-laden boats, sometimes injuring
or even killing refugees.

In
Bulgaria, militia gangs
of extreme-right 'migrant hunters', including a lot of ex-soldiers,
have started to patrol the borderlands on their own. Sometimes wearing uniforms
and armed with weapons, they try to forcibly expel refugees or hold them and
hand them over to the police.

The shameful winners

Yet
while border militarisation has been disastrous for refugees, it has also had
its winners. Most notably, it has provided a booming business for the defence,
security and IT industries in a market that is growing at roughly 8% a
year. Major European arms companies Airbus, Leonardo-Finmeccanica,
Safran and Thales were all in the news in 2016 for border security contracts.
IT firms Indra, Advent and ATOS won significant contracts for projects to identify and
track refugees.

Leonardo-Finmeccanica
received orders from Croatia and Italy for helicopters for border surveillance,
which were partly covered by EU funding.
As part of a wider European trend to push border control into the territories
of all its neighbouring countries, the German government also donated an
array of Airbus equipment for border control, including radar
systems, night vision and thermal imaging cameras, to Tunisia. With perverse irony, some of these firms – notably
Leonardo-Finmeccanica, Thales and Airbus – are also major sellers of arms to
the Middle East and North Africa.

With
perverse irony, some of these firms – notably Leonardo-Finmeccanica, Thales and
Airbus – are also major sellers of arms to the Middle East and North Africa. In
2016, European arms deliveries to this region continued apace, notably to Saudi
Arabia, despite its involvement in conflicts in Syria and Yemen that have
fuelled the flow of refugees. The European Parliament called for an
arms embargo against the oil-rich kingdom, but this was ignored by
the Council and by EU member states.

With
no end in sight to war, violence, repression and poverty outside the EU, there
is little reason to think there will be an end to migration towards Europe. In
years to come, climate change impacts are likely to contribute to the reasons
why people leave their homes.

Unless
the EU changes its course, towards really addressing the root causes of
migration, by taking steps such as halting arms sales to the Middle East and
North Africa, providing safe means to apply for asylum, and supporting and
welcoming refugees, the terrible deadly toll of lost lives and hopes will
continue to shame this continent.