On migration, EU agrees on more surveillance and swifter deportations On 9 February, EU leaders gathered in a special European Council summit agreed to escalate punitive approaches to migration through more border surveillance and swifter deportations. The European Council further asked the European Commission to step up the use of visa agreements to pressure third countries into accepting swifter and more deportations of their citizens, and develop unified safe third countries’ lists to ensure more people are deported. The European Commission welcomed these asks in a speech delivered by its President. Frontex to spend € 100 million on deportations in 2023 Frontex’ deputy director announced that the agency will spend around € 100 million in 2023 to deport migrants in an irregular situation, in an attempt to increase the number of deportations. The agency also intends to launch anti-smuggling operations at European ports, including Rotterdam in the Netherlands. In 2021, Frontex deported around 18,300 people and, according to its deputy director, the figures increased in 2022. Italy: asylum seekers secretly detained in commercial ships and pushed back to Greece According to a recent investigation by Lighthouse Reports, asylum seekers, including children, have been chained and locked up below deck in unofficial jails on commercial ships – in the form of metal boxes and dark rooms – to facilitate pushbacks from Italy to Greece. Data provided by the Greek authorities shows that hundreds have been affected in the last two years, with 157 people returned from Italy to Greece in 2021, and 74 in 2022 – although experts believe that not all cases are documented. UK: Home Office plans to remove right to appeal against deportation UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is reportedly proposing to remove the right of asylum seekers who cross the Channel in small boats to appeal against their deportation. The Home Office proposed two options to the prime minister for automatically preventing those who arrive in the UK from claiming asylum. One option would withdraw the right to appeal, while the other would only allow appeals after deportation. The Home Office also announced that legislation is being drafted to prevent asylum seekers using the Human Rights Act to avoid deportation. Italy: court finds coast guard and navy responsible for 2013 Lampedusa deaths A Rome court recently ruled that the Italian coast guard and navy were guilty of manslaughter and negligence resulting in failure to rescue, and were thus ruled responsible for the death of 268 migrants on the shipwreck that took place off Lampedusa in 2013. The two people accused, Captain Leopoldo Manna and Frigate Captain Luca Licciardi, were not convicted because the case was time-barred, as the trial was brought beyond the limitations period.