Updated: European Parliament committee discusses 'push back' rules, destination of migrants

Updated 3.35 p.m. The Civil Liberties committee of the European Parliament this afternoon held a preliminary discussion on a European Commission proposal for a regulation on  the operational rules of Frontex, the EU borders agency, including giving officials the  authority to turn back migrant boats which are not in distress. The document also sees a return of the controversy over whether migrants in distress should be taken to the nearest port or the country hosting the Frontex mission. The push-back rules have been criticised in some quarters as violating human rights, particularly the right to seek asylum. That point remained the focus of today's short discussion. The European Commission is proposing that, unless the migrants are in distress, boats may be prevented from entering European waters and escorted to their point of departure. Officials will be required to first assess the condition of the people on board. Consideration should be taken of the human rights situation at the port of departure. An MEP who took part in the discussion today argued that no proper assessment of the migrants could be made at sea. Regulations adopted in 2010 already gave Frontex that authority,...