THE REVIEW OF FRONTEX IN 2026: HOW IMPROVE ITS ROLE IN MANAGING THE RETURN OF IRREGULAR MIGRANTS?
On March 6, 2025, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, confirmed a review of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) in 2026 to strengthen its role in managing returns. This adds to the adoption in 2019 of a goal to triple the number of Frontex agents, increasing from 2,100 to 10,000 permanent border guards by 2027. They will be tasked with controlling the 45,000 kilometers of maritime external borders and the 11,700 kilometers of land external borders of the European Union.
What does the Commission propose?
The possibility for Frontex to directly organize return operations with third countries and to expand its role in preventing illegal migration.
To present, during the second half of this year, a proposal for the digitization of return case management.
To evaluate, by the end of 2025, the means to strengthen the "returns" teams of Frontex's permanent corps to improve the removal of irregular migrants.
To publish the revision of the concept of safe third country by June 12, 2025.
At Empower Europe, we consider the review of Frontex to improve its role in managing the return of irregular migrants to be a necessity. Currently, Frontex's mandate regarding the respect for fundamental rights is unclear. It would be better to advocate for a recalibration of Frontex's missions around the protection of the European Union's borders, rather than making Frontex an agency that verifies how Member States apply fundamental rights at the borders, as is currently the case. In this regard, the Frontex Agency should not be held responsible, as was the case with its former director Fabrice Leggeri, for failing to report the individual absence of the possibility that the irregular foreigner might be sent back to a country where they could face treatments prohibited under European law.
To this end, the current European Border and Coast Guard Agency could be renamed the European Border and Coast Guard and Return Agency. It seems appropriate, given that controlling the European Union's borders is one of the most effective ways to defend a tripling of Frontex's staff to bring its agents to 30,000, compared to the 10,000 planned for 2027.
