Frontex wants €11,000 in court fees from us -Sea Watch International

Sea Watch International, an organization that saves lives in the Mediterranean Sea has alleged that Frontex, the official European Border and Coast Guard Agency, demanded  €11,000 in court fees from them.

The orgaisation made the allegation in a post shared on its X handle.

The post reads: “Frontex wants €11,000 in court fees from us. So we converted the amount into life jackets. 700 of them now lie in front of your office in Brussels, Frontex. Now do the job you’re paid for. Or abolish yourselves.

“Why all this? Frontex is complicit in illegal pullbacks! That is why we, with the support of Frag den Staat, filed a lawsuit in April 2022 for the release of information on an illegal pullback that we documented on July 30, 2021.”

Sea Watch added that: “Although the border agency is legally obligated to be transparent and withheld over 100 photographs, the EU Court largely dismissed our case two years later, in April 2024—cementing Frontex’s impunity at Europe’s external borders.

“EU institutions usually refrain from imposing court costs on civil actors. Even the EU Parliament has repeatedly called on Frontex not to charge plaintiffs. Since Frontex has no shame, it’s hardly surprising that they now demand the full €11,000 from us.”