Frontex gears up for digital transformation of Europe’s border management

Q: The EES was launched on 12 October . It was a major step towards full digitization of the European border management and enhance d security at our external borders . How do you feel about the system's gradual roll-out so far?

It'sa very symbolic milestoneas for the first time in Europe weare going to have a centralised oversight of who is in and who has left the Schengen area. This understanding is fundamental ifwe talk about controlled and well-managed migration to Europe. The aim is to have the system fully rolled out by 10 April2026, and the most difficult part is still ahead of us,when the biometrics will start to be collected in the biggest travel hubs. Introducing a major system like the EES is not only a technical exercise; it is also a matter of rethinking our infrastructure and procedures to fit the new reality at our borders. This is where Frontex comes in as a centre of excellence in the European border management, working alongside Member States at the borders.

Q: It seems that the Agency has a role to play in this process .

For us, the EES launch opens a new chapter as we are supporting the system's implementation by providing training, guidanceand tools for pre-registration. As the Member States have been preparing forthe start of the EES, we have provided simulation tools to assessthe number of arrivals and to prepare the relevant border crossing points.

Having developed the Travel to Europe app, we have now also started offering 24/7 support to the ever-growing number of travellers using it. The app is currently used at five airports in Sweden,and we are working with eight more countries to have it launched atother border crossing pointsnext year.The Travel to Europe app is not just another nice digital tool buthas a true potential to redesign the entry procedures inEuropeand around the world. The idea is that travellers will voluntarily send most of the information to the border crossing point before their arrival, speeding up the entry proceduresand giving us more time to prepare. Similar solutions are under development in Japan, Canadaand many other countries.

Besides the app, our role in the EES deployment will only grow in the upcoming months as we will start assistingcarriers with their queriesregarding their passengers using the new digital tools provided by the EU.

Q: The EES will be followed by another major EU border management system, ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorisation System) , starting in the last quarter of next year. What does it mean for Frontex?

It means that one of our core business areas will come to life. So far,the agency'sprimary focus has been the delivery of situational awareness, operational support(including return)and capabilities in general. The start of ETIAS means an entry into a new core area: pre-travel control of non-EU visitors. We will become the central hub of Europe in pre-entry checks of hundreds of millions of travellers, providing uniquesupportboth to them and to Member States andcarriers.

The ETIAS Central Unit of Frontex will have a unique and immense responsibility as we estimate that out of the 80 million applications expected annually, twomillion willrequire manualfollow up by us. Business continuity is of essence here, as the workload will be significant and without Frontex the system will not work. We will have staff working day and night to process the applications, making sure that visa-free travellers coming to Europe will have a smooth entry and that those who are not welcome will get a clear'no' before starting their travel(and will be denied boarding by carriers).

ETIAS will allowus to better manage the risks related to peoplearriving inEurope, while also facilitatingentry for bona fide travellers. The gradual roll-out of the EES has already taught us many lessons that can help us with ETIAS launch next year. It has showed the importance of maintainingconnectivity, providingproper trainingand havingthe necessary business continuity plans in place.But of course, no matter how well prepared we are, the reality will only kick in once the system starts operations.

Q: How is Frontex ensuring awareness of the upcoming changes among travellers, carriers and the border guard community ?

The ETIAS and the EES introduce a major change in travellingto Europe. The number of people affected is not small:we have more than 600 million entries and exits at EU externalborders every year. It is important that we prepare the ground, raise awarenessand collaborate with our partners, ensuring that everyone is ready forthese changes. Thiswas the purpose of my recent visits to Canada and Japan, as wellasthe reason for many other engagement activities undertaken by the ETIAS Central Unit.

Last month, Frontex gave a keynote speech at the ICAO TRIP Symposium in Montreal, allowing us to address directlythe main decision-makers in the aviation area inall ICAO member countries.During the Tokyo Immigration Forumlast week,we were invited to givea similar keynote, enabling us to reach out to the countries in South Asia and the Pacific region affected by Europe's new border control measures and ETIAS.As a rule,these visits are also accompanied by media interviews, press briefingsand meetings with national authorities.

Raising awarenessis especially important when it comes to ETIAS, as the introduction of the European travel authorisation for visa-free travellers is not only a technical matter but also carriespolitical weight. We will continue our joint effort with the European External Action Service to ensure that all our partners are aware of the practicalities and the main reasons why we are changing our entry procedures.

Q: The EES and the ETIAS are part of a wider biometric and digital evolution of the European border management, alongside initiatives like the digital travel credentials and digital Schengen visa. What are the main challenges and benefits of thi s process ?

To fully digitise our border management, we need to strikea delicate balance between keeping our external borders secure and ensuring smoother travel. One element is that we will have more personal security assessment and risk management.Biometrics and improved identity management will play a key role in this process, as this allowsus to confirm with great certainty who is who, bridging a significant security gap.At the same time, the new systems will make our border control more proactive since with prior controls we will be able to say 'no' before travellers whose entry is deniedarrive at our borders.

There isalso astrong interest in streamliningthe entry procedures and automatingthe control of bona fidetravellers. We are heavily investing inelectronic gates and seamless travel procedures, such as digital travel documents. Initiatives like Digital Travel Credentials (DTC) will bring travel document management into the 21stcentury, enhance security and speed up procedures. Wealready have digital wallets and different identification methods on our phones. So why not use your phone and the digital credentials there instead of a paper-based passport?

Of course, fullautomation ofour border control processeswill require time. It is a sensitiveand time-consumingprocesswhich cannot be rushed. Business continuity is essential,including the capacity to work offline or to run the system in case of supply chain issues. You cannot put allyoureggs in one basket, you need to have a plan B.People mustbe able totravel also whenthe electronic systems are down. In the coming years, we will see the introduction ofdigital visasthat are more user-friendly and secure. However, I believe that while documentsin hard copywill remainin circulationfor many years, the numbers are likely to changesignificantly in favour of digital solutions.

Q: As we have two weeks left of this year, it is a good time to reflect on what Frontex has achieved in the last twelve months and what the Agency's priorities are for 2026.

This year,a lot of attention has been given torunningour core functionswith a new organisational structure and adding to it the missing elements. Our support toreturnsandour operational presencehave been growing.And we got bigger when it comes to sheer staff numbersas well: we have been recruiting new people, training them,onboarding them. We are still in a continuous growth phase as an Agency.

Next year, the biggest changes will be to makethe EESfully operationaland then to launch ETIAS. This way, yet another coreoperation of the Agency - travel management - will go live as the ETIAS Central Unit will be switching to full operational mode. At the same time, we will start building our new premises in Warsaw, a long-term investment which has an impact on the organization, how we operate andhow we work here. We willalsohave our own training centrein Warsaw, and we will, of course, continue increasing our operational footprint. We will be recruiting a significant numberof Standing Corps officers as we are getting ready to reach 10 000 officers in 2027 in line with our mandate.Finally, wealso expect the Commission to presenta new proposal for theFrontex mandate.