New Frontex regulations again and again: successive upgrading of Fortress Europe

dossier

"The European Union is setting up a border force with 10,000 emergency personnel, the majority of which is provided by the federal police. Frontex is also receiving more competencies and changing its organizational structure. With a "Standing Corps" of 10,000 additional emergency personnel, the EU border agency Frontex is perfecting the isolation of the European Union. (…) The new border force is intended to prevent crossings at Europe's external borders and to carry out returns and deportations. (…) Frontex has also strengthened its surveillance capabilities. The border agency operates the EUROSUR surveillance system, which monitors, among other things, the coastal regions of Algeria, Tunisia and Libya. For this purpose, Frontex is testing the use of drones that were originally developed for the military. The exploration of this “pre-border area” off North Africa is now being expanded to new areas. (…) The border agency has concluded a first operational agreement with a third country with Albania; the operation began in May of this year. Further agreements with the governments in Bosnia, Serbia, Macedonia and Montenegro have already been negotiated, but still have to go through the legislative process there…”Contribution by Matthias Monroy from September 30, 2019 at clip.de to the Frontex regulation and since then:

• New Frontex regulation: Even more power for the headquarters of Fortress Europe 
  "As announced, the European Commission presented its proposal for a new Frontex regulation on Tuesday. The border agency based in Warsaw is to be expanded into the central office for border surveillance and deportations in the European Union according to the wishes of Migration Commissioner Magnus Brunner. The plans include setting up Frontex more broadly with more staff and with the help of new monitoring capabilities. In the same package, Brunner published a proposal in Brussels for the digitalization of deportation procedures. In accordance with this regulation, Frontex is planning a Europe-wide IT system with a "digital case file" in which national authorities, Frontex and other agencies will in future manage "repatriations". It is intended to digitize all processes from the asylum application to the possible booking of a deportation flight. Every person seeking protection will now be discussed by the 27 EU states in the Council and Parliament, but the so-called trialogue process will first have to take place Decide on the negotiating position. (…) The Commission is entering into negotiations with the member states with a proposal for the next multi-year EU budget from 2028 to 2034 for Frontex. This would be roughly double the previous multi-year program, which had already increased dramatically.As if Frontex wanted to protest against this, the agency also announced three weeks ago that it would stop funding for the EU reintegration program, which offers people who voluntarily left the country one-off support in their country of origin, this year due to lack of money. (…) At a press conference on Monday, non-governmental organizations sharply criticized the new Frontex powers. Josephine Solanki from the Transnational Institute and the Abolish Frontex network spoke of a “surveillance infrastructure with satellite access, a broker of security technology and a deportation agency.” (…) Sarah Chandler from the organization Equinox referred on Monday to the growing overlap between Frontex and the EU police authority Europol. The border agency is becoming increasingly involved in law enforcement and is weakening its own data protection rules. (…) Activist David Yambio from Refugees in Libya is even tougher on Frontex. At the press conference, he called the agency the "long violent arm of Europe." With their help, people are intercepted at sea and brought back to torture camps in Libya, which the EU in turn supports through various agreements. There is no way that those affected can hold European actors accountable. Yambio referred to a case before the European Court of Justice in which the applicant had been stuck in Libya for almost three years. (…) »The EU Commission wants to expand Frontex into a European ICE. Frontex is already known today for its involvement in inhumane, illegal and life-threatening practices," explained Left-wing Bundestag member Clara Bünger on Tuesday.The agency should be dissolved, the 12 billion euros targeted by the Commission should instead be invested in civil European sea rescue and municipalities that take in refugees..." Article by Matthias Monroy from October 27, 2026 in New Germany online 
  • We remind you of the dossier from 2018 (!):For the EU, these are now finally escaped criminals: everyone in the (preferably: African) camp, more bounty for Libyan gangs, massive Frontex upgrade
• New intervention force for Frontex: Units should also be deployed at sporting events and summit meetings
  “The EU border agency Frontex is preparing to set up a new intervention force. As can be seen from the answer to a parliamentary question by the left-wing MEP Özlem Demirel, this “Quick Reaction Force” (QRF) should be able to be used flexibly “in rapidly changing situations at the external borders”. Other areas of application for the robust force include “planned events of an international scale,” such as sporting events, summit meetings or UN conferences. These would have a “significant impact on traffic and operational requirements at the external borders,” explains Frontex in its response. The force is intended to represent an interim solution between regular Frontex missions, usually planned a year in advance, and the start of a “quick border intervention,” such as the one that first took place in Greece in 2020. (…) According to the EU Commission, Frontex had 6,757 “permanent reserve” officers at the end of March 2025. Their number is expected to reach a total of 10,000 by 2027. According to a decision by Commission President von der Leyen, the force is to be expanded to include up to 30,000 emergency personnel. Several thousand could then be seconded to the new QRF. (…) With the QRF, the agency wants to create a “supplementary response capability” when “national forces” have exhausted their capacities – meaning the EU member states in whose sovereignty the police tasks lie. As a host country, you can request additional resources from Frontex in certain problem situations. (…) Özlem Demirel fears that the new “Quick Rection Force” could also be used in large demonstrations against international summits - which are already being met with completely oversized and often unleashed police operations.“There is no question that people have a need for security, but this new task force does exactly the opposite,” says the left-wing politician to “nd”. There is already strong criticism of Frontex's lack of transparency and control. This grievance at the EU's external borders will be "perpetuated internally" with the operational plans for the QRF, says Demirel.”Article by Matthias Monroy from November 11, 2025 in New Germany online 
• Frontex is becoming significantly larger: the EU border agency is setting up regional commands for the first time and is set to grow with a new regulation"The EU border agency Frontex is fundamentally reorganizing its operational management. By setting up new regional commands, the authority is moving parts of its operations management from the headquarters to the regional level for the first time. These are then responsible for all types of operations - on land, at sea and in the air. In the future, there will be nine such geographical areas of operation. The first two regional commands were opened this year in Prague and Tallinn. (...) The first regional headquarters of the "Standing Reserve" was set up in Tallinn in July covers the seventh regional area. It focuses on the Scandinavian EU states. A center in Prague followed, it is responsible for countries such as Germany, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, Denmark and Switzerland (...) The reform is part of the larger reorganization of areas of responsibility at Frontex Warsaw procured travel documents for those affected and maintained contacts with the authorities in the target countries for the deportations. The “return center” is headed by former federal police officer Lars Gerdes, who previously led the federal police training mission in Afghanistan (…) At the same time, the EU Commission is preparing a comprehensive revision of the Frontex regulation from 2019. It is intended to legally secure the expansion of the agency and expand its mandate 2025. Proposals include giving Frontex more operational autonomy, particularly in forced returns.In the future, according to the Commission, Frontex should also be able to support deportations between third countries, such as the transfer of people from transit countries to countries of origin outside the EU. This would further expand the agency's area of ​​operations beyond European borders. (…) This year the annual Frontex budget will break the billion mark.” Article by Matthias Monroy from November 2, 2025 in New Germany online 
• Frontex: stick at the external border. After the last change to its regulation, the EU border agency Frontex received expanded powers
  "With two regulations, the Council of the European Union and the EU Parliament have equipped Frontex with expanded resources and competencies. Since 2016, the EU border agency has been allowed to purchase vehicles, aircraft and drones. The regulation, which was amended again in 2019, determines the establishment of a unit known as a "permanent reserve" with 10,000 officials who report directly to Frontex's headquarters in Warsaw and should be fully recruited by 2027. It currently consists of around 2,000 officers are deployed at the EU's external borders and are supposed to organize deportations independently. The permanent reserve also oversees the operation of a huge new database for travelers from third countries. A total of 3,000 members of the permanent reserve are uniformed and armed by Frontex For the first time, the EU adopted the principle that Frontex personnel are generally seconded from the member states. The unit's highest supervisor is Aija Kalnaja, who comes from Latvia, one of the agency's three deputy directors. The German federal police officer Lars Gerdes was given the position of a "European return center" under his leadership. It offers the member states a "complete range of services". “Accompaniment and support officers for deportations”. Frontex takes care of the preparation and implementation of deportation flights and also takes care of the necessary measures in the country of destination of those affected.(…) Uku Särekanno from Estonia was appointed third deputy director for “information management and procedures” last year. Most recently, he was responsible for the introduction of new databases at the EU Agency for the Operational Management of Large-Scale IT Systems (eu-Lisa), which is also based in Estonia. The agency operates, among other things, the new European Travel Information and Authorization System (Etias). All travelers to the EU without a visa will soon have to provide personal data via a form before crossing the border. The information is then compared with other European police databases. The Etias then either grants clearance or a refusal of entry. Frontex will manage the central office of Etias with around 250 officials, some of whom have already been recruited..." Article by Matthias Monroy from March 28, 2023 in New Germany online 
• Frontex: EU border protection agency in free fall 
  “Frontex, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, was founded in 2004 to help EU member states and Schengen countries protect their external borders. Frontex began work in 2005 – and has since been massively expanded across Europe. The agency is regularly accused of human rights violations – such as “pushbacks”, i.e. the illegal and often violent rejection of people. After investigations were started against Frontex boss Fabrice Leggeri, he resigned from his position. Is this an opportunity for agency reform? Or is Frontex ultimately the symbol of a crisis-ridden European migration policy?“Video of the contribution by Johanna Siegel and Marion Roussey at arte (7 mins, France 2022)
  • See also thatThread by Matthias Monroy from May 4, 2022 : “A former #Frontex police officer from #Switzerland explains his experiences in ten missions at European land borders to the newspaper “Le Temps”:https://letemps.ch/suisse/un-exagent-suisse-frontex-brise-lomerta 
    We are talking about an “Omertà” that prevails in the EU border agency. The training for Frontex operations takes place in each of the officers’ countries of origin and during a week as part of a “European Border Guard Training”. In practice, however, there are “glaring differences” in the application of the preached respect for human rights. The officials in the Schengen countries of “Old Europe” paid more attention than those from Eastern European countries, “who are sometimes just 20 years old.” Some had just completed military service and had a more military view of migration. At night, refugees hiding in the forest would be “awakened” with sticks to bring them back to camps. A Frontex colleague was bribed with 2,000 euros by a smuggler so that he could finance his daughter's studies. The official spoke to his superiors in Bern about the grievances, but never found out whether this was forwarded to Warsaw. For reasons of conscience, he stopped working at Frontex. On May 15, Switzerland will vote on continued participation in Frontex…”
  • For the latter, see our dossier:Frontex referendum: NO to funding and personnel support for Frontex by Switzerland!
• Frontex boss Leggeri's resignation is long overdue - PRO ASYL calls for a complete restructuring of the EU border protection agency, parliamentary control and an independent control mechanism 
  "... PRO ASYL welcomes the offer of resignation from Fabrice Leggeri, head of the EU border protection agency Frontex, as a long overdue step. "It is scandalous that the director of an EU agency covered up human rights violations for years, manipulated evidence and lied to Parliament," says Karl Kopp, head of PRO ASYL's European department. The human rights organization is concerned that it takes the excellent journalistic work of Spiegel and other media to create the necessary pressure for Leggeri to resign. Frontex’s actions come at the expense of human lives. People seeking protection are dying at the borders due to illegal pushbacks. Frontex not only covers up such rejections that violate international law and manipulates evidence, but is also actively involved in human rights violations. For example, Frontex uses aerial surveillance to help detect refugee boats in the Mediterranean and transmits the data to the Libyan coast guard. As a result, the fleeing people are sent back to the torture and rape camps in Libya. “Leggeri’s resignation must be used as an opportunity to bring all of this openly to the table,” demands Kopp. From PRO ASYL's point of view, Leggeri's resignation can only be the first step. The authority needs to be fundamentally reformed. "We need democratic, parliamentary-controlled border protection. Independent monitoring of Frontex is necessary to ensure that the EU agency acts in accordance with international law and the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights," explains Kopp. The gigantic Frontex budget – currently around 750 million euros – must be massively cut, and the areas of responsibility must also be reduced and changed.As part of a kind of “isolation conversion”, a civil European sea rescue service must be created in order to end the mass deaths. In addition, a robust, independent monitoring mechanism must be created and funded at Europe's borders to investigate human rights violations, bring them to justice and, above all, prevent future human rights violations. What is needed is an alternative to Frontex: an alliance for human rights that enforces the rule of law at Europe’s borders.” Press release from Pro Asyl from April 29, 2022 
• New department at Frontex: German police director becomes EU deportation chief 
  "... With two new regulations, the Council of the European Union and Parliament have equipped the border agency Frontex with new skills and competencies. Since 2016, Frontex has been allowed to purchase vehicles, aircraft and drones and, after the consent of a host state, decide on their use there. TheRegulation of 2019 determines the establishment of a “permanent reserve” with 10,000 civil servants who report directly to the headquarters in Warsaw. Frontex can also take over the sole preparation and execution of deportation flights. In addition, the “Standing Reserve” is responsible for setting up and operating a huge, new database for personal travel information. Frontex received a new command structure for the three new areas. For the first time, Executive Director Fabrice Leggeri will be assisted by three deputy directors. The positions were advertised a year ago and filled in October. Together with their superior, they have sole control over all operations. The Frontex regulation guarantees that no other body has the authority to issue instructions to the management of the border agency. (…) After their training period, the Frontex deputy directors are now becoming more and more visible. Aija Kalnaja, who comes from Latvia, is responsible for the “permanent reserve”. As one of her first official acts, she presented the Frontex operations in the Western Balkan states at the “EU-Western Balkans Ministerial Forum” in December. Since 2019, the agency has also been operating in third countries with uniformed and armed personnel, first in Albania, then in Montenegro and Serbia. Similar operations could soon take place in Senegal and Mauritania. (…) German federal police officer Lars Gerdes was given the post of new deportation chief at Frontex. Frontex is setting up a “European Return Center” which Gerdes will head. It offers Member States a “complete range of services” for deportations, takes care of their preparation and implementation and also takes care of all the necessary measures “after return”.The “accompaniment and support officers for deportations” set up for this purpose belong to the “permanent reserve”. (…) The applicants must finance the operation of the central unit at Frontex; Fees of seven euros are due for each ETIAS approval or rejection. The system is scheduled to go into operation next year and currently affects around 1.4 billion people from over 60 countries.” Contribution by Matthias Monroy from February 8, 2022 at MiGAZIN . See also:
  • Power without limits. Changed command structure at the EU isolation authority Frontex: “service provider” for deportations
    Article by Matthias Monroy in Junge Welt from February 8th, 2022 
• [Research on Frontex] Around 180 refugees drowned despite surveillance from the air 
  "Frontex is increasingly monitoring Europe's borders from the air. (...) BuzzFeed News Germany has evaluated numerous internal Frontex documents, thousands of flight data and reports from sea rescue organizations over the past five months. As a result, we have reconstructed three cases on the central Mediterranean in which Frontex aircraft were nearby when a total of almost 250 refugees got into distress at sea. In the cases we reconstructed, people were rescued despite the Frontex aircraft The EU did not help in time - and more than 180 refugees died. The research also provides numerous indications of an apparently very close cooperation between Frontex and the Libyan Coast Guard The use of aircraft has apparently created a legal gray area with which it shifts responsibility for drowning refugees (…) The research also shows that the current approach appears to be just the beginning of a much more extensive strategy: from long-range drones, quadrocopters to zeppelins, Frontex is now using new, multi-million dollar technology (…) The new strategy is being heavily criticized by sea rescuers It is acceptable that Frontex is increasingly relying on aircraft to intercept people at Europe's external borders, criticizes Felix Weiß from "Sea-Watch", for example.“Sea-Watch” also monitors the central Mediterranean with boats and planes in search of refugee boats – if they are not being held in European ports or airports. “Our two aircraft, Moonbird and Seabird, can prove in dozens of cases how Frontex tries to cover up crimes it has committed, remove evidence from circulation, conceal its direct cooperation with the so-called Libyan Coast Guard and thus bury any transparency in its mission,” says Weiß. According to Weiß, this was also the case on April 21, 2021, when the boat with the 130 refugees got into distress…” Post from May 20, 2021 by and at BuzzFeed.News 
• EU law: Nobody can stop Frontex. The Frontex director has been in command of his own armed police force since January 1st. This reinforces the border agency's blatant lack of control 
  "Frontex is an agency that the Council of the European Union set up in 2004 with Regulation (EC) No. 2007/2004 without a parliamentary decision. Under the Lisbon Treaty, it was subsequently given parliamentary legitimacy through several changes made - first with the amending regulation 1186/2011 on the basis of Article 77 paragraph 2 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. The executive director acts as the managing body of the border agency According to the current regulation, Fabrice Leggeri and his now three deputies are “completely independent in the performance of their tasks” from the other EU institutions and the member states. He may “neither request nor receive instructions from governments or other bodies”. This also applies to the agency as such, which should be “independent and legally, administratively and financially autonomous in operational and technical matters”. Frontex therefore has its own legal personality and has executive powers. There is no body that provides technical supervision over Frontex. The border agency does not have a comprehensive right to issue instructions, as ministers in Germany have for authorities subordinate to them. (…) The frequently proven violations of international conventions in the context of prohibited pushbacks of refugees in the Aegean Sea point to a fundamental control deficit in Frontex missions. (…) With “Category 1” of the new “Standing Corps”, Frontex has had since January 1st.January this year, a contingent of up to 3,000 officers armed by the agency and commanded by Director Leggeri. Frontex is thus abandoning the principle that the officers deployed must be sent from the member states. This means that the governments and parliaments of the member states are also losing their ability to influence the agency. Governments can withdraw their seconded personnel from joint operations if, for example, the operation is found to be incompatible with conventions. However, Frontex Director Leggeri alone decides whether to continue “Category 1” operations. The new intervention force can therefore no longer be operationally controlled from the national parliaments as usual. (…) The purpose of Frontex was originally to support member states through the coordination of joint actions. However, the EU border agency is increasingly becoming independent. Demanding its abolition is therefore not a left-wing “cancel culture”, as right-wing circles now portray it, but a democratic duty.” Contribution by Matthias Monroy from March 14, 2021 on Telepolis 
• No weapons for Frontex
  “The new Frontex regulation determines the establishment of a “Standing Corps” that will consist of 10,000 police officers for short- and long-term operations by 2027. As usual, most of the emergency services are sent from the member states, but 3,000 of them report directly to the headquarters in Warsaw as “Category 1”. They should be available on January 1, 2021. The “Category 1” officers are wearing uniform EU uniforms for the first time, and the new border force will also be armed with means of force; Mentioned are service pistols, batons, handcuffs and irritants. However, the new regulation does not contain a legal basis for this. With its headquarters in Warsaw, under Polish law and the headquarters agreement with the Polish government, Frontex is not considered a unit that is permitted to acquire, register, store or transport weapons or ammunition to operational areas. Together with the EU Commission, Frontex is now looking for solutions. Despite the legal uncertainty, the agency has prepared a tender for the pistols, ammunition and "non-lethal equipment" and has held discussions with weapons suppliers. They would have promised quick delivery if the order was awarded…”Article by Matthias Monroy from November 24, 2020 at CILIP 
• No weapons for Frontex: The European Union is setting up a border force with uniform uniforms for the first time. Your planned equipment with service pistols, batons and pepper spray could be illegal 
  "Shortly before most European countries went into the first Corona lockdown, the Turkish president had thousands of refugees brought to the western land border in February of this year and asked them to continue their journey across the border river Evros to Greece. The government in Athens responded with a drastic increase in police and military units, which used tear gas, rubber bullets and pistol shots against those seeking protection; at least one person was shot on the Turkish side. The Turkish Jandarma is also said to have Firearms were used, targeting border officials on the other side of the fence. The European Union has been supporting the Greek operation for over seven months with an “immediate border response team”. For this purpose, the EU border agency Frontex has relocated around 100 officers along with “technical resources” to the Evros River, following a request from Greece. “Evros 2020” is the first Frontex operation in a “robust” environment, with many of the police officers sent from EU member states wearing their counter-insurgency gear. The Austrian special unit Cobra brought its police tank “Survivor” and small drones with them, probably more symbolically. The images of the entire operation appear martial. (…) Frontex has so far been dependent on commitments for personnel and equipment from individual governments in all missions, but the agency will soon command its own border force.The new Frontex regulation passed last year regulates the establishment of a “standing reserve” (“Standing Corps”), which should include a total of 10,000 police officers for short- and long-term operations by 2027. 3,000 of them will then be in Frontex's pay as “Category 1”, and their forces should be trained and ready to be called upon by January 1st of next year. The "Category 1" officers wear uniform uniforms, which is also a novelty. (...) Ultimately, the new EU border force is to be armed with the usual means of force for exercising coercion, i.e. a service pistol, baton, handcuffs and irritants (pepper spray or even tear gas). Frontex apparently did not take into account that the new regulation does not contain a legal basis for this. The border agency is based in Warsaw, but Frontex is not mentioned as a unit in Polish laws. The headquarters agreement that Frontex has concluded with the Polish government does not allow this either. Contribution by Matthias Monroy from October 30, 2020 on Telepolis 
  • See also thisPress release “No weapons for Frontex!” by Andrej Hunko from October 29, 2020 
• Frontex has a weapons problem 
  “According to the new regulation, 3,000 emergency services should be directly subordinate to Frontex. For the first time, the European Union is commanding a police force with a uniform uniform. However, there is no legal basis for the purchase of weapons, ammunition and “non-lethal equipment”. The EU border agency wants to build a “permanent reserve” of 10,000 border police officers by 2027. The staff, almost two thirds of which should have been recruited by next year, is divided into:four categories . 3,000 additional “Category 1” forces will report directly to the agency’s headquarters in Warsaw and will then be employed directly by Frontex. There are currently around 1,500 mostly civilian civil servants working there. For growing upFrontex will relocate its headquarters in 2024 in a new building also built in the Polish capital. With 1,500 civil servants for “long-term postings”, “Category 2” represents a comparatively small part of the “permanent reserve”. These are staff from member states who are seconded to Frontex for at least 24 months. The German Federal Police will initially employ 61 police officers, later increasing to a total of 225. Frontex wants to mobilize 5,500 officers from the member states for short-term deployments in “Category 3” and a further 1,500 in the “reserve for immediate operations”. This is where the agency takes actionexisting “immediate response teams” back, which have so far only been used in Greece. (…) Emergency forces sent from the Member States are armed with the usual operational equipment, including service pistols, batons, pepper spray, tear gas or handcuffs. “Category 1” personnel should also be equipped with weapons, ammunition and other resources for the use of force. However, legal problems arise because Frontex apparently did not take into account that the new regulationno legal basis for your own firearms…”Article by Matthias Monroy from September 23, 2020 at cilip 

We remind you of the dossier from 2018 (!):For the EU, these are now finally escaped criminals: everyone in the (preferably: African) camp, more bounty for Libyan gangs, massive Frontex upgrade

The postNew Frontex regulations again and again: successive upgrading of Fortress Europeappeared firstLabourNet Germany.