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Frontex set for new powers to deport beyond EU borders in latest overhaul
Frontex
set for new powers to deport beyond EU borders in latest overhaul
Brussels
also wants the agency to be ready to respond to border crises within 24 hours,
drawing lessons from Ceuta.
The Frontex
logo is pictured at the agency's headquarters in Warsaw on Sept. 17, 2026. |
Roland Schlager/AFP via Getty Images
October 26,
2026 10:50 pm CET
BRUSSELS —
The European Commission will unveil a sweeping overhaul of EU border agency
Frontex on Oct. 27, turning it into a fully-fledged “European return agency,”
according to two EU officials familiar with the proposal.
The
legislative proposal, which will revamp the Warsaw-based agency’s mandate, will
focus on three key areas: strengthening its role in deportations, improving its
ability to anticipate and respond to border crises, and boosting its
operational capacity without poaching border guards from countries.
At the heart
of the reform is an ambition to give Frontex a much more prominent role in
returning people with no legal right to remain in the EU, including new powers
to carry out return operations beyond the bloc’s territory, said the officials,
who were granted anonymity to discuss information not yet in the public domain.
The push
comes just months after EU lawmakers approved a
new “return regulation” aimed at accelerating deportations and allowing
member countries to establish controversial deportation hubs outside the EU.
With the
legal framework largely agreed, Brussels is now turning its attention to
enforcement — and to the agency expected to help make the new rules work in
practice.
Political
pressure has also been mounting. In June, the leaders of 19 EU countries urged
the Commission to support the establishment of return hubs outside the bloc,
including through EU funding, as first
reported by POLITICO.
The proposed
Frontex overhaul, which is on the College of Commissioners’ agenda and is
expected to be approved by the EU executive on Oct. 27, would help put that
broader shift into practice by giving the agency more resources, greater
operational flexibility and an expanded role in carrying out returns beyond EU
borders, including transfers between third countries.
Emergency
response
But
deportations are only part of the equation.
The
Commission also wants to transform Frontex into a force that can intervene in
border emergencies within 24 hours, according to the two officials.
The ambition
stems partly from the lessons
of the Ceuta migration crisis, which exposed
gaps in Europe’s ability to anticipate and respond to sudden pressure at
its external borders.
Brussels
wants to ensure that a similar crisis doesn’t catch the EU off guard again.
Under the plans, Frontex would be given a stronger mandate to monitor potential
flashpoints, particularly on social media, and improve early warning
capabilities and identify emerging threats before they escalate.
The agency
would also be better equipped to respond swiftly once a crisis happens, with
personnel and equipment available for deployment on short notice rather than
relying exclusively on existing arrangements with national governments.
Staffing
questions
Another
central question is how big Frontex should become.
The agency
had around 7,800 personnel in its Standing Corps in early 2026 and is working
towards a target of 10,000 by 2027. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen
has previously called for tripling that figure to 30,000 European border and
coast guards.
The
Commission’s proposal is expected to seek a compromise between the competing
ambitions for expansion and the practical constraints facing national
governments.
Rather than
relying entirely on a substantially larger permanent force, Brussels is
considering a sizeable reserve that officials say could be mobilized when
needed. That would help address countries’ concerns that an expanded EU-level
force could pull their border guards away at a time when national authorities
are already under pressure.
The approach
would allow Frontex to increase its deployable capacity while keeping more
personnel available for national duties when they are not needed for European
operations.
Beyond
staffing, the two people expect the Commission to put forward measures to give
the agency better equipment and more agile operational procedures, particularly
for deportations.
The reform
is also likely to reopen debates over the agency’s accountability and human
rights of migrants and asylum-seekers, especially as the EU moves towards more
deportations to third countries.
Frontex did
not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Putin call dividing EU leaders
.jpeg)
The Putin
call dividing EU leaders
By Nicholas Vinocur, Paul Dallison, Dionisios Sturis
and Saga Ringmar
16 mins
listen
October 28,
2026 6:05 am CET
https://www.politico.eu/podcast/brussels-playbook-podcast/the-putin-call-dividing-eu-leaders/
Europe’s
united front on Ukraine is showing cracks. Finnish President Alexander Stubb
and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre have opened a direct line to
Vladimir Putin, drawing criticism from some fellow European leaders — even as
Ukraine backs their efforts. Nicholas Vinocur and Paul Dallison examine the
fallout and the growing scramble over who gets to speak for Europe in peace
talks.
Also on the
pod: Brussels unveils a sweeping overhaul of Frontex, giving the EU border
agency a much bigger role in deportations, new powers to monitor social media
and plans for a major expansion.
And after a
summer of devastating heatwaves and wildfires, the European Commission wants
governments to prepare for a world that’s three degrees hotter than
preindustrial levels.
Finally, you
can see the ghostly turnip that freaked Nick out here. And if you have someone spooky in mind for Paul’s
story on the figures haunting the EU bubble, please write in! Find us on
WhatsApp here or at +32 491 05 06 29.
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