On Monday, 13 November 2023, the Faculty of Law hosted an important event – a visiting lecture by Dr Iur Jonas Grimheden, head of the Independent Fundamental Rights Office of Frontex, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency.

The topic of the lecture was “European External Borders and Fundamental Rights Monitoring – a Perspective from Frontex?”

Prof. Iris Goldner Lang, Vice-Dean for International and Interinstitutional Cooperation, welcomed the distinguished guest in a full lecture hall. The lecture was attended by esteemed civil society representatives committed to promoting fundamental rights in Croatia and in the neighbouring countries.

The many domestic and international students enthusiastically posed challenging questions to the lecturer. Current topics such as border surveillance, the use of modern technologies, security, and migrant rights arouse legitimate interest, which was confirmed by the presence of the media.

Before the lecture, Grimheden gave a statement to the press, further emphasizing the importance of discussing these key issues.

The many attending students gained a valuable insight into the functioning of the European Union border surveillance system and into the way the head of fundamental rights issues of the largest European agency, Frontex, responds to challenges. The lecture was not only useful but also extremely engaging, which was reflected in the multitude of questions asked and the lively discussion held.

We look forward to future lectures on intriguing topics in European law that will expectedly attract a large number of interested participants.