Frontex would conduct pushbacks according to the new proposal

The European Commission plans to transform Frontex into a more focused agency on deportations, effectively creating a 'European return agency'. The proposal, to be presented soon, emphasizes strengthening Frontex's role in expulsions, improving crisis response capabilities, and increasing capacity without reallocating border guards from member states. This change follows a recent EU regulation aimed at expediting deportations and establishing return centers outside the EU. Frontex's staff is expected to grow from 7,800 in early 2026 to 10,000 by 2027, with calls for an increase to 30,000. The proposal may reignite debates over the agency's accountability and the human rights of migrants amid rising deportations to third countries.