The European Commission is planning a comprehensive expansion of Frontex’s mandate and staffing. The agency’s permanent staff would increase from 10,000 to 30,000, while it would assume broader responsibilities for cooperation with third countries, the return of irregular migrants, combating cross-border crime and addressing hybrid threats.
The plan also includes giving Frontex a more active role in return operations involving countries outside the EU. More flexible agreements are being considered to allow the agency to operate in third countries.
Frontex’s mandate could expand
Under the new arrangement, monitoring disinformation on social media, tracking airspace over land borders and countering threats linked to unmanned aerial vehicles could also be added to the agency’s responsibilities.
Details of the arrangement are expected to be announced in European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s “State of the Union” address on September 16. The Commission is expected to present its proposal at the end of October.
Member states cautious about new powers
Some European Union countries are reluctant to see Frontex assume greater responsibility in areas linked to defense. They warn that if accountability and fundamental rights oversight are not strengthened to the same extent as the agency’s powers, new debates over rights violations and pushbacks could emerge.
Founded in 2004, Frontex has grown over time in terms of its budget, staff and powers. The agency has also faced criticism over allegations of fundamental rights violations and pushbacks.
The planned arrangement aims to give Frontex a stronger and more central role in implementing the European Union’s increasingly stringent migration policy in recent years.
