Europe's Migration Debate Explained

[pieter]

[pieter]

[pieter]

[pieter]

European Border Guard Agency (FRONTEX)

The European Border Guard Agency (Frontex) supports and coordinates the surveillance of the external borders of the European Union. Member states are primarily responsible for controlling external borders. The agency supplements Member States where necessary.

Frontex was founded in 2004 and transformed into the European Border and Coast Guard Agency in 2016. Frontex's powers were expanded from migration control to border management. The agency's tasks include supporting the training of border guards, combating international crime and controlling migration at sea.

In March 2019, negotiators from the European Parliament and the Council agreed to a gradual and significant expansion of Frontex's operational capacity. The capacity should be 10,000 people by 2027. Since 2021, Frontex has also been used to control land migration, provided that the country in which they operate has given permission for this. Frontex is also active in a number of non-European neighboring countries with which agreements have been made about border control.




1. Basic features

Location (city) Warsaw

Location (country) Poland

Basis EC 2007/2004, (extension: (EU) 2016/1624)

Incorporation October 26, 2004 (expansion October 6, 2016)

Nature of organization European Union Agency

Support policy Justice, freedom and security, Asylum and migration policy, Customs policy






2. Activities of the European Border Guard Agency

In order to achieve common surveillance of the external borders, the agency is responsible for:

- The coordination of operational cooperation between Member States in the field of external border management

- Assisting Member States in training national border guards, including the establishment of common training standards

- Carrying out risk analyses

- Following developments in the field of research relevant to the control and surveillance of the external borders

- Assisting Member States in circumstances requiring additional technical and operational assistance at the external borders

- Provide support to Member States in the organization of joint return operations

As of May 2010, Frontex took over the tasks of the Center for Information and Consultation on Border Crossing and Immigration (CIREFI). In this forum, under the responsibility of the Justice and Home Affairs Council, national experts from the EU Member States and the other Schengen states (Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein) have met monthly since 1993 to exchange information. Frontex's information function made CIREFI redundant.

In June 2021, the European Court of Auditors released a damning report on Frontex, stating that the agency would be unable to effectively combat illegal immigration and cross-border crime at Europe's external borders. The audit office also noted that Frontex's housekeeping book is not in order and there is no information about the actual costs of operations. The audit office recommended that Frontex "put its house in order" as quickly as possible.



Extended tasks European Border Guard Agency

In 2016, Frontex's powers were expanded and the organization was transformed into the European Border and Coast Guard Agency. The 'call sign' Frontex has been retained. The reason for the reform was the increase in the number of migrants coming to Europe. Frontex's tasks have been expanded from migration management alone to the surveillance of the EU's external borders in general.

Frontex coordinates the return of rejected asylum seekers and supports member states in monitoring the EU's external borders. Member states are primarily responsible for border control. When a Member State refuses to call for help from the European Border Guard Agency in a crisis, other Member States are given the opportunity to control their national borders. This is only possible when it has been established that the Schengen zone i is in danger.

Since 2016, all Member States must have a total of 1,500 border guards on permanent standby to be able to take action when the control of the external borders is under pressure. The Netherlands supplies 50 of these border guards. Member States must also be able to supply equipment within ten days if necessary, for example helicopters, ships or fingerprinting equipment. European Border Guard Agency services can be recognized by the blue EU logo with yellow stars.

In 2018, the European Commission came up with new proposals aimed at significantly expanding Frontex's effectiveness. In November 2019, the Council adopted these revisions. Frontex will receive more staff and technical equipment. In addition, it will have a broader mandate to support the activities of the Member States, in particular in the areas of border control, return and cooperation with third countries.

- COM(2018)631 - European Border and Coast Guard (proposal for a regulation)

From May 2019, Frontex will patrol Albania. This was the first time the agency was active in a non-member state. Later, similar agreements were made with other neighboring countries.




Human rights and the Agency

Since 2009, Frontex has been legally bound by the Charter of Fundamental Rights in the EU. This mainly concerns the treatment of illegal asylum seekers and migrants who are detained during operations.

3. Organization

The day-to-day management rests with the director and a Board of Directors. From 2023, the Dutchman Hans Leijtens will be director of Frontex. A large number of employees are seconded from the Member States.


The Dutchman Hans Leijtens is director of Frontex

4. Inspraak EU-lidstaten

The Agency is under the authority of the Management Board, which is composed of two representatives of each Member State, a representative of the European Commission, and their alternates.

The European Border Guard Agency works closely with other agencies responsible for security at the external borders, such as Europol, Eurojust, the European Police College and the anti-fraud office OLAF.



5.The Netherlands and Frontex

The Netherlands is formally represented on the Board of Directors of the European Border Guard Agency by the Commander of the Royal Military Police (MP; de Koninklijke Marechaussee). In practice, this location is often observed by the Director of Operations of the Royal Military Police (de Koninklijke Marechaussee).