EU plans to triple Frontex to 30,000 and give it deportation powers
The European Commission proposed on Tuesday to triple the EU border agency Frontex to 30,000 officers, with an €11.8 billion budget, a rapid reaction force and a central role in deporting people with no right to stay.
At a glance
- The European Commission proposed on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, to nearly triple the EU border and coast guard agency Frontex to about 30,000 officers, phased in through 2041.
- Frontex would get a central role in deportations, a new Return Coordination Centre, a rapid reaction force that can deploy within hours, and an online centre to monitor social media.
- The plan, budgeted at €11.8 billion for 2028–2034, would also let Frontex take part in removals from 'return hubs' outside the EU and in transfers between non-EU countries.
- Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Europe decides who enters the Union; Green lawmakers and rights groups criticised the plan as more repression.
The European Commission proposed on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, to nearly triple the size of Frontex, the EU's border and coast guard agency, to about 30,000 officers and to give it a central role in deporting people who have no legal right to stay in the European Union. The plan, which still needs the approval of EU governments and the European Parliament, also creates a rapid reaction force and would let Frontex take part in removals from "return hubs" outside the bloc.
What the Commission proposed
| Measure | Detail |
|---|---|
| Total strength | About 30,000 officers, phased in until 2041 |
| Frontex's own staff | About 6,000, roughly double today |
| Officers seconded by member states | About 7,000 |
| New "European border and return reserve" | 17,000 national border guards, deployed only when needed |
| Budget | €11.8 billion for 2028–2034 |
| Rapid reaction force | Can reach any point in the EU within hours, only at the request of the country concerned |
| Return Coordination Centre | Helps member states plan and run deportations |
| Online monitoring centre | Watches public social media for threats to border security |
Under the plan, Frontex would support the whole return process, from identifying people and offering advice on voluntary return to running deportation flights and helping with reintegration in the home country. With the agreement of the countries involved, it could also help non-EU governments, such as those in North Africa, return people to their countries of origin before they reach Europe, and its staff could take part in removals from return hubs outside the EU. A separate regulation would digitise return and readmission procedures across the bloc.
Migration Commissioner Magnus Brunner said the goal was for Frontex to arrive "in a matter of hours, not weeks" when a country asks for help, and stressed that Brussels could not force a deployment on a government that had not requested one.
Background
Frontex was set up in 2004 to help guard the external borders of the passport-free Schengen area. Its mandate and budget were expanded after the 2015–16 crisis, when more than a million people reached Europe, and its standing corps had about 7,800 staff at the start of 2026.
The new proposal follows a sudden rush into Ceuta, Spain's enclave in North Africa, in July 2026, when more than 70,000 people crossed from Morocco. The Commission says disinformation on social media helped drive that surge, which is why it wants Frontex to monitor online content. Overall, irregular crossings into the EU fell by almost a third in the first nine months of 2026 compared with the same period of 2025, according to Frontex figures.
Separately, five governments — Denmark, Austria, Greece, Germany and the Netherlands — are working to open the first EU return hub in 2027, with Rwanda reported to be the likely host. Such hubs are allowed under another recent EU migration reform.
Reactions
Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Europe decides who comes into the Union and under what conditions. Executive Vice-President Henna Virkkunen said the plan focused on anticipating and preventing crises and reacting quickly to emergencies.
Critics were less positive. Green MEP Mélissa Camara said the EU's response remained the same — "ever-increasing repression" — and accused the Commission of echoing far-right rhetoric. Rights groups, which have long accused Frontex of involvement in illegal pushbacks at sea and on land, called for stronger safeguards for fundamental rights, and one researcher described it as an agency increasingly working far from the EU's actual border.
Why it matters
Migration remains one of the most powerful issues in European politics and has helped right-wing parties win votes across the continent. A bigger Frontex with deportation powers would be one of the largest changes to EU border policy in a decade. For countries of origin and transit, including Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and states in North and West Africa, it could mean more return flights and more pressure to sign readmission agreements with Brussels, while asylum seekers with valid claims will watch whether the promised safeguards hold.
What happens next
The proposal now goes to the European Parliament and the Council of EU member states, which must agree on a final text. The €11.8 billion budget will be negotiated as part of the EU's next long-term budget for 2028–2034, and recruitment would increase gradually over the next two budget periods until 2041. The first return hub is expected to open in 2027.
Questions people are asking
What new powers will Frontex get?
Under the Commission's October 27, 2026 proposal, Frontex would help organise deportations of people with no right to stay in the EU, run a new Return Coordination Centre, deploy a rapid reaction force within hours at a country's request, monitor social media for border threats, and support returns from hubs outside the EU.
How big will Frontex be?
The plan would grow Frontex to about 30,000 officers: around 6,000 staff employed directly by the agency, about 7,000 officers seconded by member states and a reserve of 17,000 national border guards who can be called up when needed.
When will the Frontex changes take effect?
This is only a proposal. It must be approved by EU governments and the European Parliament, the €11.8 billion budget is planned for 2028–2034, and the staff increase would be phased in until 2041.
