For the fourth consecutive year, the European Day for Border Guards (ED4BG) was hosted by Frontex in Warsaw, Poland, on May 23. As in years past, the event drew border guards, police, academics, researchers and industry representatives — more than 650 in total — from across Europe and the world to catch up on the latest trends and developments in the operational and policy spheres affecting Europe’s borders.
One new feature at this year’s event was the opening lecture, The Future of Migration, which ambitious topic was tackled by Dr Alexander Betts, an associate professor and lecturer in refugee studies and forced migration at Oxford University. As with the later panel discussions, the lecture was live streamed to the ed4bg.eu website for the benefit of those who could not be there in person.
Another first was a “youth debate” which saw students of international relations from the College of Europe, Natolin Campus in Warsaw and two young, serving border guards from very different Member States, Germany and Latvia, discussing the subject, “Border Control Priorities: Freedom or Security?” The lively discussion followed the headline discussion of the day — “Border Control in Times of Crisis: Through the Eyes of Practitioners” — which served to compare the perspectives and experiences of Frontex Executive Director Ilkka Laitinen with those of Ioanna Kotsioni from Doctors Without Borders, Angela Pria, Head of the Department for Civil Liberties and Immigration at the Italian Ministry of the Interior, and Henry Bolton, an expert on national border strategies.
Away from the debates, attendees had the chance to view a record number of
migration-related short films and documentaries as well as a wide array of
industry exhibitions in addition to stands and displays from exhibitors
representing 28 Member State border authorities and other organisations,
including all 15 members of the agency’s recently-formed Consultative Forum on
Fundamental Rights.
The fourth ED4BG was met with positive feedback from exhibitors, participants and attendees.
