In blatant violation of data privacy and criminal law, Frontex continues funneling personal data of migrants, human rights defenders, and humanitarian workers to Europol, turning despair and solidarity into a crime.
After the revelations published on 7 July 2025 by El País, Le Monde, and Solomon, The Left sent a letter to the Commission, co-signed by 41 MEPs (from The Left, Greens, S&D and Renew), urging immediate action against Frontex’s unlawful data transfers to Europol, used to criminalise migrants, human rights defenders and humanitarian workers. Frontex continues to collect and transmit their personal data based on interviews conducted in the vulnerable and coercive context of arrival at Fortress Europe. Further Frontex failed to demonstrate that individuals gave free, informed, and specific consent. Whilst being the EU’s most expensive agency, Frontex is allowed to violate fundamental principles of data privacy and human rights with impunity.
Frontex has unlawfully processed and transferred the personal data of at least 13,000 individuals from debriefings conducted between 2021 and 2023. In several cases, this has been used in criminal investigations and proceedings targeting both migrants and those offering them humanitarian assistance. In 2024 alone, over 400 migrants and human rights defenders were reportedly arrested on charges related to so-called facilitation of “irregular migration”, likely directly linked to the illegally obtained data.
The Left has been calling for the abolishment of Frontex that evidently violates human rights on a daily basis. The agency acts as an extended arm of the Commission’s right wing agenda. The former border chief has transitioned into a role as a far-right MEP, underscoring the agency’s political alignment. Multiple EU entities, including the Ombudsman and the European Data Protection Supervisor, have identified irregularities and serious breaches by Frontex. Further, OLAF’s investigations have exposed its involvement in illegal pushbacks, misconduct, and harassment. Yet, the Commission has not put an end to the grave violations.
Left MEP Estrella Galan ( SUMAR, Spain) said: “For years, Frontex has exploited the vulnerability of newly arrived migrants by illegally obtaining and transferring the personal data of thousands of people to Europol, as part of a broader EU strategy to persecute and criminalise civil society and human rights defenders. It is unacceptable that these practices remain unpunished, while reflecting increasingly repressive European migration policies that prioritise control over fundamental rights.”
Left MEP Ilaria Salis (Sinistra Italiana, Italy) said: “Frontex and Europol are not just complicit—they are central to a European system that criminalises people arriving in the EU and those who defend their rights. This machinery is built on discriminatory assumptions that falsely equate migration with crime. The uncovered practices reveal a systemic failure that must be remedied without delay. All unlawfully collected data must be deleted immediately, and those affected must have access to justice.”
In its letter, The Left demands the Commission to take immediate action to ensure accountability, transparency, and strong legal safeguards to prevent further violations and uphold fundamental right. We demand the final end to Fortress Europe, its border agency, and the grave violations of human rights and human dignity it perpetuates.
Read the letter here: Letter_Frontex_Europol_data_transfers_July_2025_with_signatures
