This week, Frontex, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, hosted the 25th International Border Police Conference in Warsaw, bringing together over 260 border and coast guard executives from all around the world, as well as representatives of EU bodies and international organisations.
The theme of the conference was contingency planning for emergencies at the borders, reflecting the challenges the global border and coast guard community has faced during the past three years.
Ylva Johansson, EU Commissioner for Home Affairs, opened the conference and thanked law enforcement officers for their professionalism welcoming Ukrainian refugees: “I am proud of the work that Frontex officers do with national border guards. The European Union can only be safe if our neighbours and partners are safe.”
The COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s war on Ukraine have highlighted the importance of having contingency plans to be ready to react to a rapidly changing operational context.
“Global security is deeply interconnected. Whether it is health treats, wars, economic or environmental emergencies - we are all in this together. We need a global border and coast guard community to address the most pressing challenges of today. We are all aware that trying to fight cross-border crimes alone is a futile exercise and that this is the reason why international cooperation is a cornerstone of integrated border management,” said Frontex Executive Director a.i. Aija Kalnaja.
The discussions during the IBCP 2022 focused on building partnerships to enable swift and efficient responses to crises, responding to cross-border health threats and ensuring the protection of migrants and refugees at the borders.
Other highlights from the event included keynotes from Serhii Deineko, the head of the Ukrainian State Border Guard Service, and Khalid Zeriouali, Director of Morocco’s Migration and Border Surveillance, as well as side-events on fundamental rights and the EU’s upcoming travel authorisation system ETIAS.
The next iteration of the International Border Police Conference is planned for 2024. With its global reach and the presence of strategic leadership, the conference continues to serve as a unique platform to renew existing partnerships and to explore new avenues for cooperation.
