The European Council has adopted a decision to sign an agreement with Albania on operational activities carried out by the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex). The agreement will allow the organisation of joint operations and the deployment of Frontex border management teams in Albania.
Frontex deployment.
The deployment of Frontex teams will be subject to the country’s agreement. The decision was taken by written procedure.
Thanks to the agreement, Frontex will be able to assist Albania with managing migratory flows, countering illegal immigration, and tackling cross-border crime.
Since the adoption of a new European Border and Coast Guard Agency regulation in 2019, Frontex can assist countries it signs agreements with throughout their territory and not only in the regions bordering the EU, as was the case with the previous mandate. The regulation also allows Frontex staff to exercise executive powers, such as border checks and registration of persons.
This agreement will replace the current agreement between Albania and Frontex, which entered into force in 2019 (and which was agreed before the entry into force of the new European Border and Coast Guard Agency regulation).
Frontex has border management cooperation agreements in place with Serbia (2020) under the previous rules and with Moldova (2022), North Macedonia and Montenegro (both 2023) under the new rules.
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Image: Di Benjamin Applebaum – https://www.flickr.com/photos/dhsgov/51268323891/in/photostream/, Pubblico dominio, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=114341878
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