The European Commission proposed a reform of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) on 27 October 2026 that envisages increasing Frontex’s operational forces to 30,000 and expanding its powers to organise returns and deportations European Commission.
Composition and timeline of the increase
The proposal foresees a gradual increase of Frontex’s total operational forces to 30,000 by 2041. The plan envisages up to 6,000 agency staff, the involvement of 7,000 staff seconded from EU member states and the creation of a reserve of 17,000 border guards.
New role in the returns procedure and post-return assistance
Frontex could be granted the power to coordinate the entire return chain — from establishing a person’s identity and providing counselling on voluntary return to arranging transport and offering assistance after return to the country of origin. The agency could also be given the ability to organise deportations, including between countries outside the EU, where a legal basis for such operations exists.
For Germany, the expansion of Frontex’s powers could make it easier to organise the return of foreign nationals without lawful grounds to remain, including those who have received a final asylum refusal or lost the right to reside. For Ukrainians in Germany who are under temporary protection, the reform itself does not mean loss of status or automatic deportation: the right to reside will be determined by existing migration rules and each individual’s legal status.
Objections and approval plan
The initiative has prompted disputes among Members of the European Parliament: Lena Düpont, a representative of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), supported the expansion as necessary; Birgit Zippel, a representative of the Social Democratic Party (SPD), expressed concern about strengthening deportation powers without sufficient human-rights safeguards; and Erik Marquardt of the Greens compared the proposed model to the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and warned against weakening legal oversight. Human-rights organisations also point to risks to migrants’ rights during operations outside the EU.
As of 4 November 2026 the proposal had not entered into force: it must be approved by the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union. Until the new powers are approved, rules on the stay and return of foreign nationals in Germany remain governed by existing legislation.
