Archive
Frontex uses border capacity review to argue its own value
A report from the EU’s border agency Frontex examines the border control capacity of individual member states as well as the EU as a whole. Aside from offering considerable information updates, including changing migration flows and improved operational capacities in some regions, the report also serves as a way for Frontex to tout its own value and remind member states of its continued relevance, ahead of an expected mandate review later in the year. Read More
Europol seeks a new director to ‘shape the agency’s future’
Europol is in the process of hiring a new director to replace Catherine de Bolle. At the same time, the former executive director of Frontex faces a French court for complicity in crimes against humanity. Both agencies have a history of acting beyond the law to prevent people from migrating to Europe, with little to no repercussions. If Europol's new director follows suit, the recent reform to the Europol regulation will likely shield them from adequate oversight. Read More
Frontex’s European blackmail over migrants’ ‘voluntary’ returns
With a 22,900% increase in so-called 'voluntary' returns over the last six years, and a budget in excess of €1 billion, Frontex is fast becoming the protagonist in Europe's border control policy Read More
Frontex mandate review 2026: violent border practices to be expanded further
The European Border and Coast Guard Agency, better known as Frontex, is set for a major overhaul, with it seeming likely Frontex’s mandate will be expanded by the end of 2026. Along with increased border guard staffing, the agency could see its role in border control and deportations extended far beyond European territory. In this analysis, researcher Marloes Streppel breaks down the main themes of the proposed Frontex overhaul, details the EU’s main motivations and priorities and concludes with concerns raised by civil society groups and academics. Read More
Documents: EU plans to radically expand border agency’s mandate
Two recent European Council documents reveal internal discussions over the potential expansion of Europe's border agency Frontex. One aim is to make it easier for the agency to operate outside EU borders. The discussions come ahead of the expected formal revision of Frontex’s mandate in 2026 and give a glimpse of what member states and the European Commission have in mind for the agency’s role in the EU’s future deportation machine. Read More
EU budget proposals: more external migration control, less democratic scrutiny
In mid-July, the European Commission published its proposal for the EU’s next long-term budget, for the period from 2028 to 2034. The Commission wants €200 billion for “external action” – a 75% increase from the current budget. Within this, external migration control remains a high priority. The Commission wants to penalise states that don’t comply with EU migration policies, whilst undermining official development aid standards and limiting democratic oversight. Read More
Frontex chases human rights activists for thousands of euros in court costs
EU border agency Frontex has been accused of "institutional intimidation" for demanding more than €11,000 in court costs from the sea rescue organisation Sea-Watch. Read More
New report examines Frontex’s growing role in West Africa
A new report provides a critical examination of the evolving role of Frontex, the EU Border and Coast Guard Agency, in West Africa. Read More
Frontex accused of failing to prevent pushbacks and child rights violations in the Balkans
Frontex’s own fundamental rights watchdog has raised the alarm over pushbacks and serious protection failures in countries where the agency operates. Read More
Deportations: New role for Frontex as EU pushes for more “voluntary” returns
A special report by Hope Barker and Anas Ambri: The EU has been funding new accelerated asylum and deportation procedures in Bulgaria, including a new "assisted voluntary return" project. Increasing "voluntary" returns is a key part of the plan to increase deportations from the EU, with Frontex playing an increasing role. The project targets individuals in detention. Experts question whether such procedures can ever be truly voluntary. Read More