EU seeks to increase number of border guards

The European Union must increase its border control agency, Frontex, in the years ahead, European Budget Commissioner Gwen Oetttinger announced today, calling for an increase in the number of border guards from 1,200 to 2027.

Oettinger was presenting the European Commission's proposal for the EU budget for the period 2021-2027, in which the commission identifies security and border protection expenditures as one of the bloc's priorities in the years ahead.

The proposal requires a triple of funds for external border management, migration and asylum, reaching 33 billion euros in the next seven-year cycle, up from the current 13 billion euros, Pash submits.

The draft draft budget proposed by the Commission will be debated among EU member states, as well as countries should agree on the final budget with European Parliament deputies, who will also give their approval.