Frontex | Operational analysis

In addition to building up a bigger picture of the main trends in irregular migration and other phenomena in the medium and long term, Frontex also pays close attention to the daily developments in the areas of its joint operations at the external borders. Operational personnel made available by the Member States report back constantly via coordination centres, on changes in modus operandi and other factors affecting joint operations. Smuggling networks pay close attention to operational activities at the border and change their tactics constantly. Therefore, such information as the main nationalities of smuggled migrants, the routes they have taken and other details about the smuggling networks involved are all collated and analysed in order to maximise the effectiveness of operations.

This process begins before a joint operation is launched and includes such elements as the most likely routes used by people smugglers, the modi operandi likely to be exploited and other specific phenomena at local level. These details are then incorporated into a tactical focused assessment (TFA) which in turn is used to finalise the operational plan to determine exactly what types of technical equipment are most appropriate for a given operation - whether to use fast boats or larger craft or whether helicopters or aeroplanes would be best suited to a given environment, for instance. The precise location and time-scale of joint operations are also determined largely by the TFA.

When irregular migrants are detected at the external border, whether apprehended attempting to enter illegally or rescued as part of search and rescue (SAR) activities, there is a great deal of information to be gathered and analysed. The data of interest to Frontex include the specific departure and arrival points used, the size and type of boats (for sea operations) the price paid to facilitation groups and the main nationalities of migrants using a given modus operandi or route of entry, to name just a few. All this intelligence is then fed back to operational personnel via international, national and local coordination centres to constantly refine the daily operational procedures to maximise effectiveness.

Processing of personal data

Under a 2011 amendment to its founding regulation, Frontex has the power to process personal data within certain strict limitations. The most important among these is that the agency only process the data of persons suspected by a Member State border control authority of cross-border crime, such as migrant smuggling or trafficking in human beings. Furthermore, Frontex’s powers only extend to transmitting that data to Europol or other EU law-enforcement organisations, and then deleting it. The agency is not authorised to conduct investigations, and must depersonalise all data used for risk analysis purposes. Regulation (EC) No 45/2001applies to the processing of personal data by the agency.

Operational analysis activities yield a great number of daily and periodic reports that provide a fresh and detailed picture not only for operational personnel but also for Frontex management, the European Commission and national and international law enforcement bodies. All the data gathered through operational analysis are later fed back into the strategic analysis process to keep the situational picture as up-to-date as possible.