Luděk Stavinoha
@stavinoha.bsky.social
Associate Prof in Media and Global Development @ University of East Anglia
Researching borders & camps | resistance & solidarity | transparency, #FOI & public spheres
Researching borders & camps | resistance & solidarity | transparency, #FOI & public spheres
No doubt, Frontex will brush these findings aside; there will be no serious follow-up actions. One need only consider the tepid recommendations issued by the FRO: no call for the officers responsible to be sanctioned or banned from taking part in Frontex's Joint Operation.
November 22, 2025 at 12:18 PM
No doubt, Frontex will brush these findings aside; there will be no serious follow-up actions. One need only consider the tepid recommendations issued by the FRO: no call for the officers responsible to be sanctioned or banned from taking part in Frontex's Joint Operation.
In a damning internal report, @frontex.bsky.social concludes that its partners-in-crime - the Bulgaria border police - are responsible for abandoning three children, who were left to freeze to death last winter.
www.dw.com/bg/lzite-na-...
www.dw.com/bg/lzite-na-...
November 21, 2025 at 3:58 PM
In a damning internal report, @frontex.bsky.social concludes that its partners-in-crime - the Bulgaria border police - are responsible for abandoning three children, who were left to freeze to death last winter.
www.dw.com/bg/lzite-na-...
www.dw.com/bg/lzite-na-...
There’s a lot of gaslighting involved in pursuing access to these sorts of documents. Frontex's legal team has turned legalistic bullshitting into an art form. So it’s reassuring that the European Ombudsman sees straight through it — and calls it out for what it is.
November 21, 2025 at 11:43 AM
There’s a lot of gaslighting involved in pursuing access to these sorts of documents. Frontex's legal team has turned legalistic bullshitting into an art form. So it’s reassuring that the European Ombudsman sees straight through it — and calls it out for what it is.
Access to documents is not a bureaucratic nicety or a favour granted by Frontex. It’s a "special fundamental right", as the ECJ has recognised. When authorities violate it, they weaken every citizen’s ability to take part in democratic life.
November 21, 2025 at 11:43 AM
Access to documents is not a bureaucratic nicety or a favour granted by Frontex. It’s a "special fundamental right", as the ECJ has recognised. When authorities violate it, they weaken every citizen’s ability to take part in democratic life.
It's clear that these documents should never have been kept secret. I should never have had to go to the Ombudsman for redress. They should have been released when I first requested them in May 2024. Crucially, the Ombudsman found that Frontex's use of the 'public security' exception was baseless.
November 21, 2025 at 11:43 AM
It's clear that these documents should never have been kept secret. I should never have had to go to the Ombudsman for redress. They should have been released when I first requested them in May 2024. Crucially, the Ombudsman found that Frontex's use of the 'public security' exception was baseless.
More evidence of Europol's apparent disregard for legal norms and boundaries - this time from Lesvos, where its officers appear to be behaving like secret intelligence agents, misusing Frontex activities to interrogate migrants.
July 28, 2025 at 4:01 PM
More evidence of Europol's apparent disregard for legal norms and boundaries - this time from Lesvos, where its officers appear to be behaving like secret intelligence agents, misusing Frontex activities to interrogate migrants.
You'd think that Frontex-the EU's €1 billion border and *coastguard* agency-would manage to cover at least the basics of humanitarian assistance. Apparently not. Apparently, they'd have much to learn from the grassroots SAR teams they crowded out from the shores of Greek islands ten years ago.
July 17, 2025 at 2:52 PM
You'd think that Frontex-the EU's €1 billion border and *coastguard* agency-would manage to cover at least the basics of humanitarian assistance. Apparently not. Apparently, they'd have much to learn from the grassroots SAR teams they crowded out from the shores of Greek islands ten years ago.
41 MEPs call upon the European Commission to initiate an independent inquiry into large-scale unlawful transfers of personal data between @frontex.bsky.social and @europol.europa.eu following our investigation for El Pais, Le Monde, Solomon, and Netzpolitik.
July 11, 2025 at 1:28 PM
41 MEPs call upon the European Commission to initiate an independent inquiry into large-scale unlawful transfers of personal data between @frontex.bsky.social and @europol.europa.eu following our investigation for El Pais, Le Monde, Solomon, and Netzpolitik.
For @gesanchez.bsky.social - leading expert on smuggling - 'EU agencies often justify harvesting personal data from migrants by claiming it is necessary to combat sophisticated...smuggling networks. This creates the illusion that the data is actually reliable or useful. We know it's neither.'
July 8, 2025 at 11:18 AM
For @gesanchez.bsky.social - leading expert on smuggling - 'EU agencies often justify harvesting personal data from migrants by claiming it is necessary to combat sophisticated...smuggling networks. This creates the illusion that the data is actually reliable or useful. We know it's neither.'
Frontex revised its protocols after a probe by the EU data protection watchdog in May 2023. To Europol's chagrin, it is no longer passing data 'automatically'. But, crucially, Europol is refusing to confirm it will 'restrict' or 'delete' data - unlawfully shared by Frontex - as required by law.
July 8, 2025 at 11:18 AM
Frontex revised its protocols after a probe by the EU data protection watchdog in May 2023. To Europol's chagrin, it is no longer passing data 'automatically'. But, crucially, Europol is refusing to confirm it will 'restrict' or 'delete' data - unlawfully shared by Frontex - as required by law.
It appears that @frontex.bsky.social has learnt absolutely nothing about transparency since the Legerri era, as it continues to keep internal deliberations about rights violations secret from the public. Transparency still appears to be considered an optional add-on, not a fundamental right.
July 2, 2025 at 9:07 AM
It appears that @frontex.bsky.social has learnt absolutely nothing about transparency since the Legerri era, as it continues to keep internal deliberations about rights violations secret from the public. Transparency still appears to be considered an optional add-on, not a fundamental right.
The original text containing the racist remark remains firmly off-bounds for public consumption, of course.
July 2, 2025 at 8:48 AM
The original text containing the racist remark remains firmly off-bounds for public consumption, of course.
It's taken some 18 months, and the intervention of the @ombudsman.europa.eu to get @europol.europa.eu to disclose this one sentence - the agency's fundamental rights officer calling out casual racism in internal reporting.
This is not just a colossal waste of public resources...
This is not just a colossal waste of public resources...
July 2, 2025 at 8:48 AM
It's taken some 18 months, and the intervention of the @ombudsman.europa.eu to get @europol.europa.eu to disclose this one sentence - the agency's fundamental rights officer calling out casual racism in internal reporting.
This is not just a colossal waste of public resources...
This is not just a colossal waste of public resources...
Why exactly does @theguardian.com feature ads, and thus benefit financially, from the Israeli government advertising agency in times of genocide? How exactly are ads like this in line with its own advertising policy (let alone basic decency)?
June 6, 2025 at 12:26 PM
Why exactly does @theguardian.com feature ads, and thus benefit financially, from the Israeli government advertising agency in times of genocide? How exactly are ads like this in line with its own advertising policy (let alone basic decency)?
The @ec.europa.eu has really perfected the art of evading parliamentary scrutiny. Here's the Migration Commissioner's de facto non-answer to MEP Alice Kuhnke's question on DG HOME channeling EU funds to Bulgaria, despite being fully aware of widespread abuses in Frontex operations.
May 16, 2025 at 12:51 PM
The @ec.europa.eu has really perfected the art of evading parliamentary scrutiny. Here's the Migration Commissioner's de facto non-answer to MEP Alice Kuhnke's question on DG HOME channeling EU funds to Bulgaria, despite being fully aware of widespread abuses in Frontex operations.
Bravo. Though, revealingly, @frontex.bsky.social deems it in the "public interest" to keep the mission reports of its human rights monitors hidden from EU citizens.
It will be interesting to see what the @ombudsman.europa.eu makes of that.
www.ombudsman.europa.eu/en/case/en/6...
It will be interesting to see what the @ombudsman.europa.eu makes of that.
www.ombudsman.europa.eu/en/case/en/6...
May 6, 2025 at 5:57 AM
Bravo. Though, revealingly, @frontex.bsky.social deems it in the "public interest" to keep the mission reports of its human rights monitors hidden from EU citizens.
It will be interesting to see what the @ombudsman.europa.eu makes of that.
www.ombudsman.europa.eu/en/case/en/6...
It will be interesting to see what the @ombudsman.europa.eu makes of that.
www.ombudsman.europa.eu/en/case/en/6...
Despite being told by the Ombudsman that its practice of systematically refusing to provide #FOI requesters with a list of identified documents constitutes maladministration, Frontex has, in my experience, not changed its practice. It is evidently an obstructionist tactic too precious to give up.
April 25, 2025 at 4:17 PM
Despite being told by the Ombudsman that its practice of systematically refusing to provide #FOI requesters with a list of identified documents constitutes maladministration, Frontex has, in my experience, not changed its practice. It is evidently an obstructionist tactic too precious to give up.
In the first case, @frontex.bsky.social rejected the Ombudsman's interpretation of EU law. The message, signed off by Hans Leijtens, was basically that compliance with the EU public administration watchdog is an “ad hoc”, “case-by-case” matter.
www.ombudsman.europa.eu/en/decision/...
www.ombudsman.europa.eu/en/decision/...
April 25, 2025 at 4:17 PM
In the first case, @frontex.bsky.social rejected the Ombudsman's interpretation of EU law. The message, signed off by Hans Leijtens, was basically that compliance with the EU public administration watchdog is an “ad hoc”, “case-by-case” matter.
www.ombudsman.europa.eu/en/decision/...
www.ombudsman.europa.eu/en/decision/...
Here's the rest of the document that Frontex doesn't want the public to see, based on the warped logic that greater transparency - regarding Greek authorities' failure to report and investigate their own crimes - would undermine the agency's "internal decision-making" processes.
April 16, 2025 at 7:25 PM
Here's the rest of the document that Frontex doesn't want the public to see, based on the warped logic that greater transparency - regarding Greek authorities' failure to report and investigate their own crimes - would undermine the agency's "internal decision-making" processes.
The figure is featured in this report to the Frontex Management Board by its Fundamental Rights Officer obtained via a #FOI request.
Greece accounts for more than 1/3 of all 183 Category 1 Serious Incident Reports issued since 2022.
Greece accounts for more than 1/3 of all 183 Category 1 Serious Incident Reports issued since 2022.
April 16, 2025 at 7:25 PM
The figure is featured in this report to the Frontex Management Board by its Fundamental Rights Officer obtained via a #FOI request.
Greece accounts for more than 1/3 of all 183 Category 1 Serious Incident Reports issued since 2022.
Greece accounts for more than 1/3 of all 183 Category 1 Serious Incident Reports issued since 2022.
Once again, Frontex's legal team deployed a series of spurious arguments to justify non-disclosure, which left the European Ombudsman thoroughly unimpressed - offering a compelling rebuttal of the agency's expansive use of the "public security" and "internal decision-making" exceptions.
April 14, 2025 at 3:14 PM
Once again, Frontex's legal team deployed a series of spurious arguments to justify non-disclosure, which left the European Ombudsman thoroughly unimpressed - offering a compelling rebuttal of the agency's expansive use of the "public security" and "internal decision-making" exceptions.
@frontex.bsky.social has one month left to respond to the @ombudsman.europa.eu's finding of maladministration, following a complaint I had filed. Frontex had refused to disclose two key opinions issued by its Fundamental Rights Officer last year.
www.ombudsman.europa.eu/en/recommend...
www.ombudsman.europa.eu/en/recommend...
April 14, 2025 at 3:14 PM
@frontex.bsky.social has one month left to respond to the @ombudsman.europa.eu's finding of maladministration, following a complaint I had filed. Frontex had refused to disclose two key opinions issued by its Fundamental Rights Officer last year.
www.ombudsman.europa.eu/en/recommend...
www.ombudsman.europa.eu/en/recommend...
Ultimately, most interlocutors credited Leijtens with genuinely trying to confront problems he inherited. But, as @sophieintveld.bsky.social said: in the current political climate he "has no leverage to really push member states on fundamental rights” as "lawlessness and impunity" reign@EU borders.
April 8, 2025 at 10:06 PM
Ultimately, most interlocutors credited Leijtens with genuinely trying to confront problems he inherited. But, as @sophieintveld.bsky.social said: in the current political climate he "has no leverage to really push member states on fundamental rights” as "lawlessness and impunity" reign@EU borders.
Meanwhile, despite vowing to improve transparency, a wall of secrecy surrounds details of his deliberations with Greek authorities and the Fundamental Rights Office-the latter deemed Frontex's latest act of "maladministration" by the @ombudsman.europa.eu
April 8, 2025 at 10:06 PM
Meanwhile, despite vowing to improve transparency, a wall of secrecy surrounds details of his deliberations with Greek authorities and the Fundamental Rights Office-the latter deemed Frontex's latest act of "maladministration" by the @ombudsman.europa.eu
This is the calibrated Article 46 approach towards suspending Frontex operations, composed of an "escalation ladder" - a copy of which we obtained via an FOI request.
April 8, 2025 at 10:06 PM
This is the calibrated Article 46 approach towards suspending Frontex operations, composed of an "escalation ladder" - a copy of which we obtained via an FOI request.