“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.

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.

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.

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.