The politician further emphasized that accepting immigrants could be based only on the voluntary decision of every member state. The representatives of the Visegrad Four met on Wednesday, and according to Pellegrini the V4 were not saying an “absolute no” to strengthening Frontex, however they emphasized the need for clearly defined tasks and competences of the border protection units.
Pellegrini believes the European politicians should support any solution which clearly enhances the capabilities of defending the borders. The politician pointed out that with Frontex the main problem is that it could replace the sovereignity of the local authorities. “It has to be complementary, which means supplementary,” said Pellegrini, who thinks that a good combination of Frontex and local forces could be implemented in certain countries in Northern Africa. This is an area, where the European Union should be more active besides diplomacy.
