EU to unveil bigger Frontex with focus on deportations
The European Commission is set to unveil an overhaul of Frontex next Tuesday, giving the EU border agency a larger role in deportations, more resources, and greater agility to deploy. The proposal, based in Warsaw, includes a budget of €12 billion over seven years, though that figure is part of a broader drawn-out EU budget fight among member states. Commission president Ursula von der Leyen has promised a “substantial increase” in the agency’s standing corps, without committing to a number. The centre-right European People’s Party had pushed for expanding the force to 30,000 from the proposed 10,000, but that target is unlikely to be met given difficulty finding recruits. Frontex currently employs around 1,250 officers directly, with additional officers provided by member states on long- and short-term assignments. Von der Leyen has also called for a European Border and Return Reserve, a Quick Reaction Force for crisis deployment, and a Return Coordination Centre to accelerate and improve returns, including from foreign states. The agency is likely to gain more powers to share personal data with Europol, and may monitor social media to gauge possible mass arrivals similar to the Ceuta incident.
