The European Commission has proposed a new Frontex regulation that would gradually raise the agency’s standing corps to 30,000 officers, including a new European border and return reserve of 17,000 officers held at the disposal of member states, alongside a doubling of Frontex’s own staff and the 7,000 staff already seconded from member states. Frontex would also be able to acquire, lease and co-own equipment and act as a central purchasing body, including for digital and AI enabled tools. The Commission said illegal border crossings have more than halved over the past two years and the return rate has risen to over 30 percent.
On returns, Frontex would steer EU wide return operations through a dedicated Return Coordination Centre and could support return operations between third countries under agreements with them. For crises, the proposal creates a quick reaction force deployable at short notice on a member state’s request and an online monitoring centre with a mandate to monitor publicly accessible social media for border risks, and member states would have to report events with a significant potential impact on EU borders within 24 hours. A second proposed regulation would digitalise return, readmission and reintegration case handling across the EU. Both proposals now go to the European Parliament and the Council.