National authorities

The Border Guard is responsible for Finland's internal security, subordinate to the Ministry of the Interior. The main functions of the Border Guard are guarding of the land borders and the territorial waters, passport control at the border crossing points, ports and airports, as well as performing rescue operations, especially at sea. After Finland became independent, the government decided on 21 March 1919 providing that the responsibility for guarding the Finnish borders shall rest with militarily organised Border Guard troops subordinate to the Ministry of the Interior. The Border Guard developed into its current form after the wars when the Coast Guard was integrated into it and border control was extended to Finland's western and northern borders.

The DNPAF (Direction Nationale de la Police aux Frontières) is a specialized, high value-added department at the heart of internal security issues, particularly with regard to the operational management of migratory flows, border control operations at both the external and internal borders of the Schengen area, the modernization of European information systems, the fight against migrant smuggling and the return of irregular immigrants. As such, the DNPAF is heavily involved in international police cooperation, and also plays an advisory role for the Ministry of the Interior and Overseas France's international strategy, working with the Directorate General for Foreigners in France (DGEF) and the Directorate for European and International Affairs (DAEI).

The management of major events organized in France, technological challenges in terms of "smart borders", the fight against documentary or identity fraud, the quest for greater fluidity in major airports, train stations and international ports in conjunction with the companies operating these infrastructures, the evolution of rules and mechanisms in the Schengen area, and the rationalization of the national police's air and sea resources, are also very important concerns for the DNPAF.