BackOn 12-14 July, FRA provided intense training to 10 return monitors in cooperation with the Greek Ombudsman. This training course aimed at improving the knowledge of monitors on fundamental rights in the context of forced returns and readmissions, so they can translate this knowledge into action.
It provided guidance to return monitors on how to observe and report on forced returns and readmissions based on fundamental rights criteria and on how to identify early warning signs of potential fundamental rights violations. The EU borders agency, Frontex, also provided input to the course. The Greek Ombudsman’s Office has a monitoring mandate when it comes to returns and readmissions from Greece to third countries including Joint Return Operations coordinated by Frontex.
Safeguarding human rights when monitoring returns is anchored in the EU’s Return Directive, and is therefore obligatory for all Member States. The ultimate objective is to continuously increase the monitoring of return and readmission operations as the number of such operations also grows.
The training helped participants gain confidence in their ability to identify fundamental rights violations and report on them in the context of forced return and readmissions monitoring. Specifically it enables monitors to: report on forced return and readmission operations, based on fundamental rights criteria, as well as identify early indications of situations that may potentially develop into fundamental rights violations; apply the relevant regional and international agreed standards on the use of coercive measures and force, including the principles of necessity and proportionality when identifying violations of fundamental rights; confidently observe return and readmission operations and record what has occurred accurately; and produce truthful and detailed reports and provide constructive and feasible recommendations as well as identify good practices.
Source: Fundamental Rights Agency
