The European Commission in Brussels intends to significantly expand the EU border protection agency, Frontex, with the goal of increasing the number of deportations of rejected asylum seekers leaving the EU. The relevant EU Migration Commissioner, Magnus Brunner, told the “Welt am Sonntag” that the EU is “consistently continuing the European migration shift.” He announced that a legislative proposal would be presented on Tuesday to position Frontex as broader and stronger, specifically making it the central EU agency for deportations. Brunner strongly asserted that anyone who lacks the right to remain in the EU must actually leave.
Following the Commission’s directive, Europe is set to establish a “Deportation Coordination Center,” where Frontex is expected to play a central role. Brunner pointed out that the rate of returns in the EU has seen a notable increase this year. According to his figures, the return rate for illegal migrants in the first ten months of the current year stands at over 30 percent. However, the former Austrian Finance Minister stressed that “this is still not enough.” He contrasted this with the same period last year, when only one out of five (20 percent) rejected asylum seekers from the EU were deported back to their home country or another third country.
