From support on the ground and in the air, tailored risk analysis, return operations, providing training to raise the standards of border guarding around Europe, to fighting cross-border crime – we are making the EU a safer place.
Frontex teamed up with 44 countries across the world and international organisations in a global action targeting human trafficking for sexual exploitation, forced begging, and forced criminality. Operation Global Chain, part of EMPACT Joint Action Days, brought impressive results: 212 suspects arrested and 1 400 potential victims identified.
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Frontex sent 50 officers to Finland within days of a request from the Finnish authorities to support their efforts to handle an unusually high number of migrants arriving through its eastern border with Russia. This rapid deployment marked a significant step in our commitment to bolstering border security across the EU and underlined our commitment to EU member states in times of need.
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Frontex and Romanian authorities tested a new command structure at the country’s external border with Moldova and Ukraine. Until now, all Frontex operations have been coordinated from the agency’s headquarters in Warsaw. With the growing number of staff and activities, this had to change in order to further strengthen the effectiveness of Frontex operations and decentralise the decision-making procedures.
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Frontex launched a new operation in North Macedonia. More than 100 European border guards arrived to support local authorities with border surveillance and border checks, including patrolling, checking documents and gathering information on cross-border crime.
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The agency’s officers, for the first time, started carrying out first-line border checks at a border outside the European Union, marking an important milestone in international border cooperation.
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In 2023, the number of irregular border crossings at the EU’s external borders reached a total of 380 000. This marks the highest level since 2016 and constitutes a 17% increase from the figures in 2022.
In today’s interconnected world, whatever happens outside the EU can have an impact on its internal security. Frontex develops and maintains a reliable network of partnerships with the competent authorities of non-EU countries, particularly in countries neighbouring the EU, as well as in countries of origin and transit for irregular migration.
2023 was an important year for our cooperation with EU’s neighbours. We’re especially proud of supporting Ukraine’s border management efforts during trying times by provided 100 patrol cars and other relevant equipment as part of a 12 million euro grant agreement.
The agency also held a meeting between its Management Board and EU pre-accession partners, including Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia.
In Western Balkans, together with the European Commission, Frontex will implement an assistance package worth 39 million euros under the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA III) to strengthen border management.
In the Southern neighbourhood, the agency made strengthened the partnership with Morocco during a visit to Rabat last year.
Fundamental rights are the linchpin of migration management, and Frontex, together with its independent Fundamental Rights Office, makes sure that everywhere we are, the rights of people crossings the borders are respected.
2023 was the year when all 46 Fundamental Rights Monitors received the full training and started working. With this cruising speed, the Fundamental Rights Office has been able to be more present in the field. We were active in close to 30 countries, especially Greece, Italy, Spain and Romania. We also monitored some 50 return flights, processed more than 50 complaints and about as many serious incident reports during the year.”
Jonas Grimheden, Frontex Fundamental Rights Officer
Effective and humane return operations are the cornerstone of efficient migration management. In 2023, we helped Member States return nearly 40 000 people who have received return decisions from the national authorities, 57% more than in the previous year.
More than half of them returned voluntarily, and we see a steady increase year by year – while in 2022 voluntary returns represented 40% of the activities, in 2023 they amounted to 54%.
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