Brussels, 11 June 2025, dtt-net.com – The government of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) and the European Commission (EC) signed today an agreement for deployment of EU Border and Coast Guard Agency (FRONTEX) to the country, aimed at joint better fight against illegal migration on its way to the EU territory and combating cross-border crime.
The agreement was signed in Brussels by BiH’s Prime Minister Borjana Krišto and the European Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration, Magnus Brunner.”
“Thanks to close cooperation with Western Balkan partners, irregular border crossings along this route have dropped by nearly 95% compared to 2022. This confirms that working together brings tangible results and that the Western Balkans are an integral part of Europe’s stability and security space. Today’s agreement with Bosnia and Herzegovina is another important step in strengthening our shared responsibility for effective border management and a safer Europe,” Brunner said in a press release.
The FRONTEX status agreement will enter into force following the consent of the European Parliament and the EU Council as well as the national ratification procedure in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The status agreement will be provisionally applicable from the moment of signature.
Since the adoption of a new European Border and Coast Guard Agency regulation in 2019, FRONTEX staff may exercise executive powers in a third country, such as border checks and registration of persons.
Since then, the EU has signed border management cooperation agreements with Albania, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia.
FRONTEX has nearly 500 officers in the Western Balkans and ongoing joint operations in the four countries.
Migrants, helped by smugglers, use Western Balkans region as one of the routes to reach the EU territory for better life.
According to FRONTEX, there were 21 520 detections of irregular border crossings by migrants on the Western Balkans route to the EU in 2024, which is 78 percent less compared to 2023.
The decrease is result of strengthened controls by Albania, North Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia authorities helped by FRONTEX personnel.
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