At the request of the Greek authorities for additional assistance at its external borders in the Aegean Frontex launched the deployment of some 400 officers and 15 vessels to the Greek islands on 29 December 2015. Poseidon Rapid Intervention replaced Joint Operation Poseidon Sea with a higher number of officers to assist the Greek authorities in border surveillance, identification and fingerprinting of arriving migrants. The deployment also includes forged document experts and interpreters.
Under the Frontex Regulation, Frontex may deploy European Border Guard Teams for a limited period of time on the territory of a Member State that requested assistance due to urgent and exceptional migratory pressure at its external borders. Member States are obliged to send border guards for rapid operational assistance deployments, unless they themselves face an exceptional situation substantially affecting the discharge of national tasks.