EU: SPECIAL REPORT: Joint Operation "Mos Maiorum" starts
13 October 2014
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Council put out censored, "partially accessible", version of the operation document deleting the date and all the details of Joint Operation (JO):
Full-text (pdf) and:
Censored text (pdf)
"Mos Maiorum" taking place between 13 to 26 October 2014:
On Monday 13 October, the EU's latest migrant hunt begins
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Media and web coverage (pdf) and
SECOND batch of web-media coverage (13.10.14, pdf)
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"There has to be full accountability and post-operation scrutiny by the European Parliament: How many people were "checked in each participating Member State and which of their agencies were involved in the operation? Where were they "checked", at EU border point, on a train or bus or in the street or where else? How many in each country were detained how long for and where? Of those not released what happened to them and where are they now?" (Tony Bunyan, Statewatch Director)
A Europe-wide joint police operation aiming to "apprehend irregular migrants and gather relevant information for intelligence and investigative purposes" will run for two weeks from Monday 13 October, building on previous similar efforts that have seen thousands of people arrested.
The operation - named Joint Operation (JO) 'Mos Maiorum' in reference to the "time-honored principles, behavioral models, and social practices that affected private, political, and military life in ancient Rome." - has been organised under the Italian Presidency of the Council of the EU.
This police operation has as its main aim to:
"apprehend irregular migrants and gather relevant information for intelligence and investigative purposes."
There has been some confusion between the "Mare Nostrum" search and rescue operation launched by the Italian government - which is to end in November - and this new Joint Operation (JO) "Mos Maiorum" operation organised by the Council Presidency (who happens to be from Italy) directed at undocumented migrants and refugees.
This new Joint Operation "Mos Maiorum" operation organised by the Council of the European Union is not subject to accountability or scrutiny by national or European Parliaments and the full text of the document, agreed on 10 July is "LIMITE", meaning that it was not made available to the public but see it here:
Joint Operation (JO) 'Mos Maiorum'. However on 8 September a "Public" version was put on the Council's register which is only "Partially accessible", here is the
censored version of the Joint Operations (JO) " Mos Maiorum" put out on 8 September 2014 (pdf) All the detail and the date of the Operation are deleted.
This will be the second operation this year directed at undocumented migrants and refugees. The first was organised by the following agencies: Europol, Frontex, Eurojust and Interpol with law enforcement agencies from 34 countries taking part. It was called Operation Archimedes when 10,000 "irregular" migrants were "checked" in a mass "organised crime" sweep.
Organised crime networks targeted in huge law enforcement operation in Europe (Press release, pdf) No information is given as to what happened to the people who were "checked". See also:
Europol infographics (link)
In previous Joint Operations directed at "irregular" migrants Operation "Aerodromos" (under the Greek Council Presidency) 130 people were "apprehended", under Operation "Perkunas" (Lithuanian Council Presidency) 10,459 irregular migrants were apprehended and under Operation Aphrodite (2012) 5,298 people were "apprehended".
Tony Bunyan, Statewatch Director, comments:
"When mass "sweeps" looking for undocumented migrants are undertaken by the EU, its agencies and Member States there has to be accountability to parliaments and people before and after operations are undertaken. In the case of "Mos Maiorum" the Council has sought to keep from public view and debate the plans for the operation by only making publicly available a highly censored document.
There has to be full accountability and post-operation scrutiny by the European Parliament: How many people were "checked in each participating Member State and which of their agencies were involved in the operation? Where were they "checked", at EU border point, on a train or bus or in the street or where else? How many in each country were detained how long for and where? Of those not released what happened to them and where are they now?"