Hans Leijtens, the recently appointed Executive Director of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency commonly known as Frontex — has proclaimed that borders don’t work, and that Europe should shift away from the “narrative” of “stopping people.”
“Nothing can stop people from crossing a border, no wall, no fence, no sea, no river,” said Leijtens, advocating for “more openness” towards migrants.
In reality, nations that have erected physical barriers have witnessed the almost total cessation of migrant invasions, including the United States under President Trump and Hungary under Viktor Orban.
Leijtens made the shocking comments during an interview with German newspaper Welt am Sonntag. The former Commander of the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee, the Netherlands’ national gendarmerie force, Leijtens, has helmed Frontex since March 2023.
“This talk of ‘stopping people’ and ‘closing borders’ cannot be our narrative all the time. My job is to create a balance between effective border management and compliance with fundamental rights,” Leijtens told Die Welt.
The EU faces a massive migrant crisis, affecting nations across the bloc, including the UK, Ireland, and Italy. The crisis is driving an increasing number of Europeans to support populist and nationalist parties promising to tackle the crisis head-on, such as the Netherlands’ Party for Freedom (PVV), helmed by Geert Wilders, and Germany’s Alternative for Germany (AfD).
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