EU unveils plan for emergency border squads

A RAPID reaction team of border guards is being created to protect the European Union’s external borders from a sudden influx of illegal migrants.

The Irish authorities are considering whether to make personnel available to assist as part of the newly formed Frontex agency.

The EU has also called on governments to beef up their inspections of workplaces to flush out illegal migrants.

The pool of up to 300 guards making up the Rapid Border Intervention Teams (Rabits) will be ready to respond to an urgent request from a member state within ten days.

The Rabits will have wide-ranging powers to patrol borders, stop and search people and to check and stamp travel documents.

The move is a response to demands for help by Spain, Malta and Italy that are frequently inundated with immigrants landing on their shores from northern Africa.

Announcing the new plan Justice Commissioner Franco Frattini said the permanent pool of guards would include experts in identifying people, assessing risks, providing translation services and first aid.

“Identifying the nationality of people arriving at the border of the EU can be very important and we plan that the agency Frontex will help train people in this area,” he said.

They will wear their own uniforms but have an insignia that will identify them as belonging to the EU team.

Costs will come from the communal Frontex fund, while the guards will continue to receive their normal salary from their member state.

One problem facing the force is the muddle of national laws that govern what foreign border guards can do.

The EU hopes to harmonise regulations to allow the Rabits to operate where ever they are deployed around the EU.

European leaders last December asked the commission to come up with a plan to help out countries facing extraordinary obstacles in controlling their external borders that are also the external borders of the EU.

A report from Mr Frattini yesterday said there will be an increase in the number of immigrants wanting to come to the EU over the next few decades mainly because of the economic and political situation in their own countries.

It outlined a number of measures to cope with such an influx including beefing up penalties against those who employ illegal migrants.

Mr Frattini said: “Member states must increase the control job of labour inspectors and ensure employers are not undermining EU legislation by employing illegal migrants.”