Frontex director Hans Leijtens: 'We don't stop migration, but we want to manage it properly'
What does European border security look like? On 14 April, Hans Leijtens, executive director of Frontex and former commander of the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee, is in The Hague for a lunch lecture. We spoke with him about border security, migration and the role of Frontex.
On 14 April, you will be delivering a lunch lecture at your Alma Mater. How do you look back on your time at Leiden University?
‘I began my academic journey at the military academy and was an evening student when I started with Public Administration at Leiden University in 2004. I later completed my PhD there. I didn’t experience much of the student life, but I found the academic culture incredibly inspiring.’
You’ve been the executive director of Frontex for two years. What does Frontex do?
‘We’ve been around for twenty years. In the early years, our focus was primarily on coordination and information sharing. Since 2019, we’ve evolved into an operational agency, meaning we deploy personnel and resources at the request of EU member states to support their efforts.’
Irregular migration
Irregular migrants are migrants without valid documents to enter or stay in a country.
What kind of support does Frontex provide?
‘We have four key tasks. The first is to directly monitor borders, primarily to facilitate legal border crossings, such as those at Schiphol Airport, while also working to prevent irregular border crossings. Second, we assist countries in the return of individuals who have been denied asylum in Europe. This is primarily a national responsibility, but we provide assistance in more than half of the cases.’
'Our third task is combating cross-border crime. Although we don’t have investigative authority, we do have the ability to detect and intervene. The fourth task is the collection and distribution of information. We don’t operate as an intelligence service, but we provide facts to the relevant authorities so they can make informed decisions.’
Given that Frontex collaborates with many countries, each with their own unique needs and requests. How do you handle that?
‘We work with EU member states under a Frontex regulation that outlines the scope of our operations. However, individual countries decide which aspects of our mandate they wish to utilise. They can request specific expertise or more intensive border surveillance. In the past, we simply provided what a country asked for, but today, we also advise on what they actually need, which can sometimes be challenging.’
What makes this challenging?
‘Take Spain, for example. We believe we can provide valuable support around the Canary Islands, but this is politically sensitive, as the central government in Madrid and the Canary Islands government have different views. We can apply pressure, but if they refuse, Frontex cannot impose anything – we don’t have autonomy.’
Speaking of politics: migration is a high-priority issue. What role does Frontex play?
‘Although I’m not a politician, I work within a system influenced by political decisions. This makes it all the more important for us to focus on the facts. We’ve reported that irregular border crossings are declining.
'I will never say whether more or less is good or bad'
This doesn’t headline De Telegraaf, but it’s the truth. I will never say whether more or less is good or bad: that’s for politicians to decide.’
Do you have an influence on these declines?
‘No, it’s far too complex to reduce it to one or two factors, le alone claim that it’s our success. Our role isn’t to stop migration, but to manage it in a manner that is both effective and humane, ensuring respect for the individuals involved. Agreements with countries play a crucial role in shaping outcomes. This doesn't mean fewer people wish to migrate, but it does limit their ability to do so.’
’90% of irregular migration is facilitated by smugglers. It’s a huge market from a criminal perspective. Disrupting this market has a measurable impact, but as long as people have reasons to migrate, they will keep trying.’
The current geopolitical tensions might drive people to migrate, do you see any effect at the border?
‘It typically takes time before we observe the full impact. When Russia invaded Ukraine, migration surged, but when you look at the situation in the Middle East, we don’t see much impact yet at the European borders.’
‘Notable is the increase in South American migrants who are now opting to travel visa-free to Spain rather than to North America. This doesn’t count as irregular migration from our perspective. In fact, most asylum seekers in Europe arrive with a visa and overstay, rather than entering irregularly.’
But that seems to be the image portrayed by the media and politics?
‘Just to put it into perspective: there are between 200,000 and 300,000 irregular border crossings each year, compared to one million asylum applications. This means that opening or closing borders doesn’t necessarily reduce asylum applications.
'Opening or closing borders doesn't necessarily reduce asylum applications'
Visas aren’t regulated by the EU, but rather through bilateral agreements. These legal pathways exist to prevent irregular migration.’
What do you see as the biggest challenge for Frontex?
‘Immigration and the implementation of the European Asylum and Migration Pact, which is expected to be enacted next year. We won’t change our approach, but we will need to reorganise. Border zones will need comprehensive centers for handling asylum seekers, non-asylum seekers, and everything related. How can this be done in a humane way? It’s a huge logistical challenge.’
Plans to expand Frontex’s staff to 30,000 employees are underway. Does that give confidence for the future?
‘This is an internal challenge. Countries fear it will reduce their own capacity because we will need extra staff. While 30,000 sounds impressive, you must consider whether it will make a difference. What is the future of border control? Not necessarily adding more people, but also rethinking how we can operate smarter and more effectively.’
Lunch lecture
On 14 April from 12:00 - 13:00 hrs., Hans Leijtens gives the lunch lecture: 'European Border Policing Amidst (Geo-) Political Turmoil'
Register here