On 30 August 2021, the German newspaper Die Welt published an article[1] presenting considerable evidence of collaboration between migrant smugglers and a number of NGOs.
Since 2017, Italian judicial authorities have launched 18 investigations into the involvement of NGO ship captains, crew members and staff in aiding and abetting illegal immigration.
In September 2020, as a result of an operation carried out by two Greek police officers who infiltrated groups of migrants travelling to Lesbos from Turkey, the Greek authorities accused a number of NGOs of forming a criminal organisation and facilitating migrant smuggling.
In March 2021, the Italian authorities brought charges of aiding and abetting illegal immigration against 21 individuals (crew members, team leaders and managers) working for the NGOs Médecins sans Frontières and Save the Children, based on evidence collected from tapped devices on the ship Iuventa and provided by an investigator who worked undercover on the Vos Hostia.
According to the Financial Transparency System, between 2007 and 2016, these NGOs and their subsidiaries received EUR 173.61 million and EUR 52.13 million respectively from the EU.
Pending the outcome of these trials, to keep its hands clean, is the Commission considering putting a stop to the payment of funds to these NGOs?
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/E-9-2021-004284_EN.html
Válasz:
Answer given by Ms Johansson on behalf of the European Commission:
While the Facilitation Directive 2002/90/EC[1] obliges Member States to appropriately penalise the facilitation of irregular entry, transit across or, for financial gain, residence in an EU country, EC law does not intend[2] to criminalise humanitarian assistance.
The Financial Regulation[3] sets out detailed rules for the selection and award of funds to entities, based on objective criteria.
In the case of humanitarian support, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) need to undergo an assessment of their systems rules and procedures to become EU certified partners. NGOs receive EU funding to implement specific actions and thereby assist the Member States and the Commission in fulfilling important European policy objectives.
The Commission also carries out ex post audits on NGOs as part of its standard control strategy to ensure that funds are used according to their intended purpose.
Safeguarding the proper use of EU funds is ensured by various mechanisms, such as suspension of contract or payments and contract termination, in the Financial Regulation and relevant agreements concluded with recipients of EU funds.
In relation to the press allegations mentioned by the Honourable Member, the Commission has not received information through official channels.
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/E-9-2021-004284-ASW_EN.ht…