How we work


Rapid border interventions

A rapid border intervention is designed to bring immediate assistance to a Member State that is under urgent and exceptional pressure at its external border, especially related to large numbers of non-EU nationals trying to enter the territory of a Member State illegally.

The interventions rely on the rapid reaction pools of 1500 officers and equipment from Member States, which are required to provide them – officers and staff within five days and equipment within 10 days.

Deployment Procedure

A Member State starts the procedure to launch a rapid border intervention by requesting one, along with providing a description of the situation, possible aims and its needs. The Frontex Executive Director may send experts to assess the situation and immediately informs the Management Board of the agency about the request. The Executive Director must decide within two working days whether to launch the rapid intervention, notifying the requesting Member State and the Management Board of his decision.

The Executive Director and the Member State then have to draw up an operational plan within three days after a decision to launch a rapid border intervention. As soon as the plan is agreed, Frontex shall immediately deploys the operational staff available, and in parallel, asks other Member States to provide border guards and other relevant staff from the rapid reaction pool, if necessary, indicating the relevant profiles and numbers of officers from each. The officers made available from the rapid reaction pool should be deployed within five days. Member States may also be asked to provide additional officers, who would be provided within additional seven days.

Command

Members of the teams may perform tasks and exercise powers under instructions from and in the presence of border guards of the Member State requesting assistance.

Frontex Executive Director appoints a coordinating officer to act as an interface between the agency and the other authorities involved, monitoring the correct implementation of the operational plan.