hr flag go to the original language article
This article has been translated by Artificial Intelligence (AI). The news agency is not responsible for the content of the translated article. The original was published by HINA.

First Frontex members deployed in BiH

by AI | 31.Oct 2025 | Europe in brief AI

The first 100 members of Frontex have been deployed to Bosnia and Herzegovina to assist in better border protection and the prevention of illegal migrations.

Frontex headquarters in Warsaw. Photo: EPA/Marcin Obara)

SARAJEVO – The first hundred police officers from EU member states have arrived in BiH to assist as Frontex members in better protecting the country’s borders and preventing illegal migrations as well as combating cross-border crime, with the start of their mission marked on Friday by EU officials and local politicians.

In the presence of the European Commissioner for Home Affairs and Migration, Magnus Brunner, the Executive Director of Frontex, Hans Leijtens, stated in Sarajevo that the agency, whose task is to protect European borders, has the capacity to assist other countries, especially in the Western Balkans.

“We have about 3,500 officers, of which more than 600 are in the Western Balkans. In BiH, you will see Frontex members from various European countries, such as Latvia, Belgium, and Portugal. Our mission is to help BiH protect its borders,” said Leijtens.

Frontex members will monitor the border in joint patrols with members of the Border Police of BiH and participate in surveillance operations at land border crossings and airports.

They will not be able to operate independently but only in cooperation with BiH border police, while being required to respect the laws of that country and international standards.

The agreement for the engagement of Frontex in BiH was signed in June of this year based on the experience that other Western Balkan countries and Moldova have with this agency in cooperation.

It is estimated that this has drastically reduced the number of illegal migrants attempting to reach EU member states through the region.

In 2022, more than 140,000 such cases were recorded, while two years later, that number was reduced to just over 21,000. (October 31, 2025)