New Migration Proposals Expand Frontex’s Reach to the Western Balkans

Migration is a complex issue and there cannot be a one-off response to it as no state can effectively address this phenomenon alone. At the EU level, there is the need for a new and more European approach using all policies and tools at the disposal, combining internal and external policies, and involving all key players.

The 2015 refugee and migration crisis revealed much about the structural limitations of EU migration policy and the tools at its disposal. It also inevitably challenged the stability of the EU’s internal and external border control.

Particularly, securing external borders is key to the EU’s own interests, safety and well-being in the end. Yet, it is in this endeavour where Brussels needs to close the gaps between border controls, asylum and return procedures. In other words, it is of utmost importance to look at the ways migration policy is managed effectively to curb the possible collateral damages (e.g., human trafficking, smuggling activities, etc.) through information exchange, risk analysis, joint training, research and development projects, joint operational activities and participation in pilot schemes. Besides that, there is a need for transparent processes as well.

Fleeting Chances

Surely, the Western Balkans have been a major source of illegal economic migrants seeking jobs in Europe’s wealthier countries; Frontex data reports that the number of irregular migrants choosing the Balkan route fell steadily for a few years and has started to pick up again from 2019 onwards.