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European border guards face a wide variety of challenges ranging from the smuggling of cars and drugs to the counterfeiting of identity documents. Certain parts of the European Union border have also become 'hot spots' for irregular migration.

In recent years the Greek-Turkish frontier and the south of Italy have become main entry points for irregular migrants from Africa and Asia. Tens of thousands of migrants have paid smugglers to help them get to the EU.

When a country experiences these problems Frontex coordinates assistance for them from other EU Member States. It does that by mustering their combined resources to launch a joint operation. All such operations follow the same cycle.