Reactions to the European Commission’s proposal to upgrade Frontex

The European Commission’s plan to upgrade Frontex from a European agency with 1 500 employees into a complimentary European border and coast guard with 10 000 armed guards by 2020 has caused mixed reactions in the European Union. Under the proposal, €12.6 bn would be allocated to Frontex between 2019 and 2027, with the agency supporting national border patrols as well as coast guards and operating at the command of national authorities.

Eritrean community in the Netherlands demonstrates in support of Dutch government

The Hague – Around 180 members of the Eritrean community in the Netherlands held a demonstration in support of the Dutch government. With the demonstration, the organisers wanted to express gratitude for the actions of the Dutch government, including declaring head of the Eritrean embassy office ‘persona non grata’; they also wanted to show that the fight for justice and freedom is not yet over.