Nineteen European countries will provide 291 border guards to Frontex to be immediately deployed to Greece and Italy. These officers will work in hotspots to help identify and register incoming irregular migrants.
On October 2, Frontex requested 775 border guards from EU Member States and Schengen Associated Countries, in large part to assist Greece and Italy in handling the record numbers of migrants at their borders.
“We are facing a migratory and refugee crisis. Because of this, Frontex has called on Member States for the first time to provide such a large number of border guards. I appreciate that they have come through with the most officers ever offered,” said Frontex Executive Director Fabrice Leggeri.
“I hope we can move much closer to our goal. For this reason, I would like to stress that Member States can continue sending their contributions even though the deadline for the call has passed,” Leggeri added.
In terms of working hours, the response from the Member States covers about a quarter of what Frontex has requested.