This week Frontex marks its two-year anniversary as
the European Border and Coast Guard Agency. Over the last two years the agency
has cemented its position as one of the cornerstones of the EU’s area of
freedom, security and justice, becoming more and more operational on the ground
at Europe’s external borders.
More operational
and more involved on the ground
Currently the agency deploys some 1500 officers on
average in its numerous operations at EU’s external borders and over the last
two years has doubled the number of its staff to more than 600. Twenty six
ships are also taking part in its operations, along with six airplanes, four
helicopters and numerous vehicles, including 80 patrol cars.
“I am proud to say
that over the last two years Frontex, the European Border and Coast Guard
Agency, was able to deliver. We have become one of the most dynamic EU agencies
with an extended mandate, more responsibilities and a larger staff. We are now
on the front line of border management, including combatting organised crime.
The bottom line is that Europe is only as secure as its external borders,” said Frontex Executive Director Fabrice Leggeri.
Migration management
and security
Frontex has expanded its role in migration management
and security-related activities. Since the European Border
and Coast Guard Regulation came into effect on October 6, 2016, more than 27
500 people staying illegally in the EU have been returned to their home
countries by Frontex. The agency has also
introduced innovative types of operations to provide a variety of ways to
conduct returns. It has expanded its assistance ahead of return operations,
including obtaining the necessary documents for returnees.
Frontex has also developed its foot-print in coast
guarding activities and expanded its support for law enforcement at Europe’s
borders. Just this year, the agency assisted in the seizure of more than 100
tonnes of illegal drugs and arrests of more than 1000 suspected drug
traffickers and 660 suspected people smugglers.
The agency is working closely with the European
Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) and European Fisheries Control Agency (EFCA) and
national coast guard authorities to develop truly European coast guard
functions – from border control, to search and rescue, fisheries control and
detection of pollution and all other kind of illegal activities at sea.
Frontex has strengthened its response to document
fraud. It has set up the Centre of Excellence for Combatting Document Fraud to
support the identification, development and implementation of operational
initiatives targeting this crime during Frontex coordinated activities,
building a full-fledge capacity to further support Member States.
Monitor risk and
information
To expand its ability to monitor the external borders
and share the gathered information with EU Member States, Frontex has rolled
out the Multipurpose Aerial Surveillance (MAS), which allows for planes
monitoring the external borders to feed live video and other information
directly to the Frontex headquarters and affected EU countries. The agency is
also testing the use of Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) for border
surveillance in several countries around Europe. The Frontex Situational Centre
(FSC) now operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week and offers new EUROSUR
fusion services to Member States, including satellite imagery and MAS.
On the ground, the collection of intelligence on
people suspected of cross-border crime, including terrorism, is now integral
part of the agency’s operations at the external borders. Frontex already shares
a growing amount of information with Europol and EU Member States.
Developing network
of liaison officers
To underpin this strategic engagement, Frontex has
also made substantial progress in the deployment of a network of liaison
officers to the EU Member States and Schengen Associated Countries. Soon
Frontex will have 11 liaison officers appointed and trained, ready to take on
their tasks in the Member States.
Frontex already has three liaison officers based
outside the EU in areas affected by migratory flows – Turkey, the Western
Balkans and Africa. The agency plans to deploy additional officers to countries
outside the EU in the near future, starting by North and West-Africa and
increasing its foot-print in the Western Balkans.
Meanwhile, the agency has expanded its cooperation
with non-EU countries in strengthening existing cooperation networks, such as
the Africa-Frontex Intelligence Community (AFIC). Following the signing of the agreement
on cooperation on border management between Albania and Frontex earlier this
week, the agency will soon be able to launch its first operational deployment
beyond the EU external borders.
Contribute to the
well-functioning of EU external borders
To contribute to the well-functioning of external
borders by addressing potential future challenges, Frontex has established a
dedicated unit to handle the vulnerability assessment, which allows the agency
to share information about potential weak spots in border control with EU Member
States and to support them in tackling potential vulnerabilities, by so strengthening
the level of security of EU external borders.
Finally, thanks to its enhanced role in research,
high-technology and innovation, the ETIAS regulation – that enters into force
next week – gives to the European Border and Coast Guard Agency the
responsibility to develop the ETIAS central unit. This new task stresses the agency’s
vocation to be the partner of the EU Member States and of the Commission to
build and to run European modern and interoperable capabilities of border
management.
