= F R O N T E X •
EUROPEAN BORDER AND COAST GUARD AGENCY
Mr Matthias RUETE
Director General
European Commission
Directorate General Migration and Home Affairs
Sent by email only
Your ref: HOME/C.2/SM (2016)/23.12.2016
Our ref: OPD/JOU/DINT/ 845 /2017
Please quote when replying.
Warsaw, 18 January 2017
Dear Mr Ruete,
Thank you for your letter of 23 December 2017 concerning the situation at Hungary's southern border
and the provision of information on the outcome of the visit of the Commission on 18 and 19 October
2016. The main findings of this mission have been duly taken into account in the Decision not to suspend
our operational activities at the green border between Hungary and Serbia, within the framework of JO
"Flexible Operational Activities 2016 Land
I WB" as a reaction to the CF recommendation.
Starting on 1st February 2017, JO Flexible Operational Activities 2017 Land
I WB and JO Focal Points
2017 Land will be launched as a continuation of the previous year's activity, to facilitate the
implementation of IBM concept at the EU external land borders, to implement coordinated operational
activities in order to control irregular migration flows towards the territory of the MS of the European
Union and to tackle cross border crime. These actions are in line with your remark that the presence of
the Agency at the Hungarian Serbian border shows solidarity and commitment for the support to Hungary
in protecting the common Schengen border.
I also took note of your suggestion on the attention the Fundamental Rights Officer should pay to the
implementation of these operations; any information on alleged violation of fundamental rights is
scrutinized and followed up with particular attention taking into consideration the particular
importance of the specific area in order to ensure that our activities are implemented with full respect
of fundamental rights.
Concerning the bilateral arrangements for the support of the so called 'Visegrad group' countries,
currently there are no officers deployed to Hungary on bilateral basis. As you know, those deployments
are not coordinated by Frontex and we therefore have only indirect knowledge about their activities.
According to our understanding they are performing routine border surveillance activities, alongside the
established technical obstacle with tasking to prevent the entry of persons to Hungarian territory by
providing early warning to the Serbian authorities, or supporting the escorting of those persons who
have managed to enter Hungary to the transit zones by directing them to the other side of the obstacle.
Finally, I would like to provide you my assurances that
we are monitoring the situation in Bulgaria with
the same intensity as in Hungary concerning all aspects of effective border control, including the
safeguarding of fundamental rights.
i(_
Yours sincerely,
Fabrice Leggeri
Executive Director
Frontex - European Border and Coast Guard Agency
www.frontex.europa.eu I Pl. Europejski 6, 00-844 Warsaw, Poland I Tel. +48 22 205 95 00 I Fax +48 22 205 95 01