The Police and Border Guard Board has been working for years to increase the presence of officers from the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) in Estonia and along our eastern border. Soon, a Frontex unit will begin operations in Rahumäe to prepare for the establishment of a permanent base for Frontex’s 7th Contingent in Estonia.
To enhance response capabilities, Frontex has decided to decentralise the management of its operations, moving it closer to the field from its headquarters in Warsaw. The Schengen Area has now been divided into seven contingents, with the operations of each contingent planned and managed directly from the contingent’s headquarters. Estonia has submitted a request for the permanent command centre of our contingent to be located in Estonia. In addition to Estonia, the contingent includes other countries along the Schengen eastern border – Norway, Sweden, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Slovakia.
Veiko Kommusaar, Head of the Border Guard Department, stated that this was excellent news: “Although PBGB personnel have participated in many Frontex missions and Frontex border guards have also been present at our borders and border crossing points for years, Frontex’s main focus has long been on the Mediterranean, where the agency still faces the highest workload in absolute terms. Unfortunately, the situation in our region is no longer what it was 10 years ago. For several years now, our region has faced a number of challenges on our borders. Irregular border crossings are not just a problem for the border states in the region – people attempting to enter the Schengen Area illegally usually do not intend to stay in the country where they cross the border but aim to move on towards Western Europe. I am pleased that Frontex shares our view of the situation and is taking steps to strengthen border security in this region,” Kommusaar explained.
According to Frontex, preparations to move its team to a temporary base in Estonia are going as planned and it should be opened very soon. Frontex’s presence in the region is vital, as ever-evolving, hybrid threats at our common external borders are unlikely to decrease in the near future. Frontex stands ready to support with EU Border and Coast Guard Officers and its own technical equipment, coupled with that available in Member States.
If everything goes as planned, Frontex’s permanent base in Estonia will begin operations next year.