TFL Vsebine / Zbornik znanstvenih razprav

Transportna podjetja ali prevozniki prispevajo k priseljevanju v Evropsko unijo tako, da državljane tretjih držav prepeljejo čez zunanje meje EU na ozemlje držav članic EU. Kot del boja proti nezakonitim migracijam je EU prevoznikom v okviru nadzora zunanjih meja naložila posebne odgovornosti. Prevozniki so dolžni preveriti, ali imajo prepeljani državljani tretjih držav potrebne potne listine. Poleg tega morajo nekatere (letalske) podatke o potnikih posredovati pristojnim nacionalnim organom. V primeru neizpolnjevanja teh obveznosti se prevozniška podjetja soočajo z odvračilnimi, učinkovitimi in sorazmernimi sankcijami. Poleg tega morajo prevozniki prevzeti odgovornost za vse državljane tretjih držav, ki jih prevažajo, če jim nacionalni organi zavrnejo vstop v državo. Države članice EU lahko od prevoznikov zahtevajo, da te državljane tretjih držav vrnejo v zadevne tretje države. Avtorica na kratko analizira zakonodajni okvir EU glede mednarodnih prevoznikov. Pri ugotavljanju obsega obveznosti prevoznikov do pristojnih mejnih organov držav članic EU in vloge, ki jo imajo prevozniki v boju proti nezakonitemu priseljevanju v EU, avtorica predstavi veljavni pravni okvir EU, in sicer Direktivo 2001/51/ES, Direktivo 2004/82/ES ter deloma Direktivo 2003/110/ES. Poleg tega avtorica razpravlja tudi o sankcijah, ki prevozniškim podjetjem grozijo zaradi neizpolnjevanja teh obveznosti, ter poda oceno o ustreznosti direktiv v sedanjih različicah kot pravnih podlag za sankcioniranje prevoznikov. Avtorica tudi analizira, katere vidike je treba še pojasniti, da bo vloga, dodeljena mednarodnim prevozniškim podjetjem v boju proti nezakonitemu priseljevanju v EU, jasna in nedvoumna ter da bo nezakonito priseljevanje v EU mogoče učinkovito omejiti.

Transport companies or carriers contribute to immigration processes into the European Union in that they carry third-country nationals across EU external borders to the territory of the EU Member States. As part of the fight against illegal migration, the EU assigned specific responsibilities to carriers within the context of external borders control. Carriers are obliged to perform checks to verify whether the transported third-country nationals have the necessary travel documents. Moreover, they have to transmit certain (air) passenger data to competent national authorities. In cases of failure to comply with these obligations, transport companies face dissuasive, effective and proportionate sanctions. Besides, carriers must assume responsibility for all third-country nationals on board if they are refused entry. The EU Member States can oblige carriers to return these third-country nationals to respective third countries. The author briefly analyses the EU legislative framework regarding international transport companies. To delineate the scope of carriers’ obligations towards competent border authorities of the EU Member States and to identify which particular role carriers play in combating illegal immigration to the EU, the applicable legal framework (namely the Carrier Sanctions Directive, the Passenger Data Directive and, to a certain extent, the Removal Directive) are be discussed. Additionally, sanctions that transport companies face for non-compliance with these obligations are discussed to assess whether the directives in their current versions can be regarded as creating a proper legal basis for sanctioning carriers. Finally, the author analyses which particular aspects still need to be clarified so that the role assigned to international transport companies in the fight against illegal immigration to the EU is clear and unambiguous and that illegal immigration to the EU can be effectively constrained.