European Commission proposes expansion of Frontex role

The European Commission is set to introduce a new regulation to significantly expand the mandate and budget of the EU border agency, Frontex. Following a five-point plan to strengthen external borders, the proposal aims to transform the agency into a central hub for deportations and removals of individuals without a right to stay in the European Union.

Key elements of the proposal include the establishment of a deportation coordination center to streamline processes that are currently managed primarily by individual member states. To support these expanded operations, the Commission has suggested increasing Frontex’s total budget to 12 billion euros over the next seven years. This represents a substantial increase from its 2026 budget of 1.12 billion euros.

EU Migration Commissioner Magnus Brunner noted that the return rate for illegal migrants stood at over 30 percent in the first ten months of the current year, compared to one in five during the same period last year. While the expansion aims to increase efficiency and security, organizations such as Sea-Watch have criticized the agency, alleging serious human rights violations.