At a Member State’s request, Frontex can coordinate joint operations, deploy officers and equipment, and provide information and risk analysis to support decision-making. All Frontex activities are carried out in full respect of fundamental rights.
This year, Frontex opened a new Contigent Office in Prague, supporting 10 countries in Central and Western Europe, and a new regional command office in Estonia, to lead operations across eight countries. By placing leadership closer to the ground, these structures help to make Frontex more operationally responsive and flexible on the ground.
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In June, Frontex hosted the Annual European Coast Guard Event 2025 in Gdańsk with the European Fisheries Control Agency (EFCA) and the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA). In August, Frontex and Romanian authorities led a large multipurpose maritime exercise in the Black Sea, bringing European and national agencies together to rehearse joint responses to fast moving maritime emergencies.
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The launch of the Entry/Exit System (EES) on 12 October 2025 was a milestone for European integrated border management. Frontex is supporting the roll out with tools such as the Travel to Europe app, which enables voluntary pre-registration to speed up entry procedures. The app is live at five airports in Sweden, and further expansion is being prepared with interested countries.
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Frontex’s Annual Risk Analysis (ARA) report examines the main threats and challenges that could jeopardise EU border security in the coming years. Emphasising factors such as irregular migration, cross-border crime, terrorism, and hybrid threats, the report offers conclusions to inform policy- and strategic decision-making.
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Ιn 2025, detections of irregular border crossings at the EU’s external borders fell by over one-quarter (26%) to almost 178 000. This is less than half the total recorded in 2023 and the lowest level since 2021.
Read more about how migration routes evolved over the past year, including shifts in pressure between regions and corridors, as well as the continued influence of criminal smuggling networks.
Effective return operations are key to managing migration. In 2024, Frontex assisted Member States in returning 56 262 individuals, marking a 43% increase from the previous year. Voluntary returns continued to rise, making up 64% of returns in 2024, compared to 54% in 2023.
Toolboxes for vulnerable groups
Effective returns are a cornerstone of credible migration management. Together with Member States, Frontex supports return work across three phases, pre-return activities (PRE), return operations and voluntary returns support (ROP, RVR), and post-return reintegration (POST). This includes providing return counselling to help people understand their options and available assistance, and reintegration support to help people rebuild their lives after arrival.
More about Frontex supports Member States
Frontex continued to drive innovation in border surveillance by helping research, test and prove new tools that can support Member States in protecting the EU’s external borders. In May and July, Frontex and the Bulgarian Border Police tested a multi layered drone set up through the Tactical Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Pilot Project, combining long endurance drones for wide area coverage with smaller drones for closer checks. The pilot covered more than 8,000 km² and generated 343 flight hours. Frontex also ran a counter drone prize contest in Portugal to strengthen defences against hostile drones, where a test team launched 136 drone flights to challenge four competing systems, and 64 drones were
stopped using a mix of electronic measures, such as jamming and spoofing, and physical interception, supported by more than 50 sensors and software tools.
Frontex embeds fundamental rights safeguards across all operational activities, with oversight and support from the Agency’s independent Fundamental Rights Office (FRO).
In 2025, the FRO continued to promote and monitor compliance with fundamental rights across Frontex activities, while providing advice to the Agency. Fifty-four monitors (out of 70 FRO staff) operated in 26 countries, with the largest share of field days in Greece, Italy, Spain and Bulgaria. Drawing on first-hand observations, the FRO also supported Frontex preparations for implementing the Migration and Asylum Pact, with a particular focus on the Screening Regulation.
Training remained a key priority, with 235 days dedicated to building fundamental rights capacity across the EU border and coast guard community. Over the year, the Office registered 114 complaints on alleged rights violations and initiated 47 serious incident reports.
We’re building a stronger future for border management. We are investing in better training, smarter planning and new technologies. Our focus is on intelligence-led operations to provide even more effective support to Member States. We ensure everybody is treated with respect and that fundamental rights are upheld in all we do.
Hans Leijtens, Frontex Executive Director