News

  • News Release
  • Management Board updates

    • Frontex Fundamental Rights Office releases its 2025 Annual Report

    2026-07-15

    The Frontex Fundamental Rights Office (FRO) has published its 2025 Annual Report, with a comprehensive overview of its work last year. The report presents the outcome of the agency’s independent Fundamental Rights Office monitoring work in the field and headquarters, investigations of incidents and complaints, training and capacity building, collaboration with the Agency’s international partners as well as overall advisory work.  

    This Annual Report highlights how FRO has contributed to the implementation of the new European Union migrations measures introduced by the Migration and Asylum Pact, which have required changes in the operation of national and European border management, including setting up or appointing national monitoring mechanisms. 

    The year 2025 was a challenging one in terms of migration, border management and fundamental rights, in Europe and around the world. The main issue identified by our monitoring and advisory work remains that some countries disregard their own legal requirements or have legislation that does not comply with EU law, with the belief that tougher measures will deter migrants. On the positive side is the work leading up to the Pact entering into force, which requires EU Member States to have independent national monitoring mechanisms for at least some elements of border management and asylum processing, said Jonas Grimheden, the Head of the Fundamental Rights Office.

    In 2025, FRO conducted some 130 monitoring missions in 17 EU Member States and six third countries where Frontex has ongoing operational activities. This resulted in close to 1 600 field monitoring days. The office also monitored return operations. The number and share of return operations with at least one monitor on board has risen consistently across the years, from 60% (140 flights) in 2020 to 86% (222) in 2025.  

    Out of 200 potential serious incidents alleging violation of fundamental rights, around 50 fulfilled the criteria to open an investigation, and more than 100 complaints were handled. 

    Support for capacity building activities remained a significant part of FRO’s work. In 2025, it delivered more than 80 training sessions on fundamental rights in relation to returns, border surveillance, screening and debriefing activities, document checks and trafficking in human beings. 

    In 2025, our office continued its work to strengthen Frontex’s and national authorities' compliance with fundamental rights. We remained a core part of providing advice and assistance on fundamental rights compliance for operational activities, within and beyond the borders of the EU. We will keep working to strengthen compliance and to strengthen our ties, both within the EU institutional framework and with the countries where Frontex operates, national monitoring mechanisms not least among them, said Jonas Grimheden.

    The report covers monitoring at EU’s external borders and in third countries, return activities, accountability mechanisms such as serious incidents and complaints investigations, advisory functions, cooperation and training, and the priorities for 2026. 

    This publication, which targets both expert and general audiences, aims at contributing to the wider conversation on fundamental rights within the European Border and Coast Guard community. 

    Files available for download

    FRO Annual Report 2025 (32.1 MB)

    Reports from previous years are available on our dedicated page.