The European Commission of the European Union (EU) intends to limit the powers of its border control agency Frontex to investigate human rights abuses by border guards of individual countries, sources say, the Financial Times reports.
The European Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration, Magnus Brunner, wants to expand Frontex's powers to return illegal migrants to their homeland and carry out operations outside the EU.
At the same time, the agency's ability to investigate human rights abuses by individual border guards will be limited.
Under the new rules, information about alleged violations committed by national law enforcement officers participating in Frontex operations will be transferred to the authorities of the relevant countries. This reform will enable less distraction from the problems of the EU members and focus on Frontex itself, one of the interlocutors explained.
Another source noted that the main goal is to prevent Frontex from becoming an unnecessary headache for EU member states.