Babiš after V4 meeting: Frontex needs more powers

Speaking after a meeting of the leaders of the Visegrad Four states and Austria on Thursday, the Czech prime minister, Andrej Babiš, said that the European Union agency charged with guarding the bloc’s borders, Frontex, did not have sufficient powers.

Mr. Babiš said that Frontex should focus its energies on combatting the people smugglers making billions out of migration.

Thursday’s meeting in Budapest was primarily focused on illegal migration and comes ahead of a planned informal EU meeting on Brussels on Sunday about asylum policy and a major summit in the city at the end of next week.

Contrary to a previous statement that he would be attending Sunday’s meeting, Mr. Babiš said no Visegrad Four leaders would be there. He said only countries “friendly to migration” would be involved.

Author: Ian Willoughby