Juncker talks of welcoming refugees, while turning Europe into a fortress | Apostolis Fotiadis | Comment is free

Instead of questioning the priorities of the commission, local media repeated the mantra that €475m had been made available to help Greece deal with immigration. But what exactly is the money for?

The British whistleblower Statewatch gave us an answer when it uploaded the Internal Security Fund’s spending programme for Greece, greenlighted by the commission last July. The document is nothing short of an arms race wishlist, including the purchase of coastal patrol vessels, drones, patrolling vehicles carrying infrared cameras, large scale equipment appropriate for joining Frontex’s operation as well as hi-tech surveillance, data and biometric equipment to enhance the super-surveillance systems the commission is gradually establishing at Europe’s borders. The procurement of security goodies amounts to €187m: as much as two-fifths of the money Avramopoulos has promised. This year’s other main beneficiaries of the fund, amounting to a total of €3.7bn until 2020, are Italy, Spain, Malta and France.

While Europe’s states are laying into each other over a coordinated quota system for receiving refugees, their cooperation on boosting Fortress Europe is running more and more smoothly.

Next time #Juncker talks about the need to prioritise saving lives and dignity of #refugees, someone should ask him how he can square such claims with a policy that prioritises raising obstacles to people fleeing conflict and turning Europe into a hi-tech fortress.

#réfugiés #asile #migrations #hypocrisie #politique_migratoire #politique_d'asile #fermeture #Forteresse_Europe #business #économie_sécuritaire #Frontex #surveillance_des_frontières #contrôles_frontaliers #industrie_sécuritaire
cc @albertocampiphoto @daphne @marty