Frontex - European Agency for the Management of Operational Cooperation at the External Borders

10/31/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 10/31/2025 10:46

Frontex rolls out fully-fledged operation in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Frontex rolls out fully-fledged operation in Bosnia and Herzegovina

2025-10-31

Frontex, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, is launching its first full operation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, starting a new chapter of cooperation in the Western Balkans. Over 100 Frontex officers from across Europe will soon work side by side with border guards from Bosnia and Herzegovina at the country's borders.

The joint teams will help strengthen border management, tackle cross-border crime and improve the exchange of information, all while ensuring that every activity fully respects fundamental rights. The operation also brings extra equipment, training and European expertise to support Bosnia and Herzegovina in its daily work on the border.

"Working together makes a real difference," said Hans Leijtens, Frontex Executive Director. "Our officers will stand shoulder to shoulder with their colleagues from Bosnia and Herzegovina, helping to manage borders safely and fairly. This is what European cooperation looks like in practice."

The launch follows several years of preparation and close partnership between Frontex and the authorities of Bosnia and Herzegovina. During his visit, Executive Director Leijtens met the Minister of Security, the Director of the Border Police, and EU representatives to discuss how joint efforts can further strengthen security and cooperation across the region.

Executive Director Leijtens attended a ceremony in Sarajevo marking the beginning of Frontex's operational presence in Bosnia and Herzegovina, alongside Magnus Brunner, European Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration, and Bosnia and Herzegovina's Minister of Civil Affairs Dubravka Bošnjak.

Commissioner Brunner said: "The security of the Western Balkans is the security of Europe - our challenges in these areas are shared. Through our agreement with Bosnia and Herzegovina, Frontex now is supporting border police in all Western Balkan countries. This contributes to the more than 90% decrease in illegal border crossings over the past three years. Together, we are making Europe a safer continent."

Director Leijtens also met with Borjana Krišto, Chair of the Council of Ministers (Prime Minister) of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and spoke to Frontex officers working alongside national counterparts.

"Today, our members of the Border Police of Bosnia and Herzegovina stand shoulder to shoulder with members of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex), and this cooperation in border management and joint operations is also visible at Sarajevo International Airport and at certain border crossings," said Ivica Bosnjak, acting Minister of Security of Bosnia and Herzegovina. "This is a significant step forward achieved by the Ministry of Security and our security agencies in the recent period, as part of the broader process of European integration of Bosnia and Herzegovina and its contribution to collective European security."

Frontex already supports border management beyond the EU in Albania, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia, working closely with national authorities to fight cross-border crime and help manage migration in a way that is both effective and humane. The new operation in Bosnia and Herzegovina expands this regional cooperation even further.

Background

A Status agreement between the European Union and Bosnia and Herzegovina provides the legal framework for Frontex to deploy members of its Standing Corps and conduct joint operations on the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina under host-state command.

The visit marked the practical start of this cooperation phase, moving from preparation and capacity-building to deployment on the ground. Bosnia and Herzegovina became the fifth Western Balkan partner where Frontex operates under such a legal framework, alongside Albania, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia, strengthening the Agency's regional operational coverage.

This step builds on years of cooperation that already included joint risk analysis, training and situational-awareness exchanges, as well as expert support to national capacities, now made visible and operational through deployment in the field.

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