Frontex (the European Border and Coast Guard agency) plans to recruit up to 440 new officers in 2024 and is now on the lookout for candidates with previous law enforcement, border guard, coast guard or military experience.
With the rapidly growing number of officers, the agency says that it needs to take steps to reinforce the command in the field and to decentralise some of its activities for better co-ordination and communication with host country authorities.
The new chain of command foresees the introduction of field contingent commanders responsible for 300-600 staff across several countries, as well as deputy commanders. The first wave of recruitment has focused on the selection of experienced section leaders, field contingent senior officers and chief logisticians.
During the next wave Frontex will look to recruit future basic-level officers, also without previous law enforcement experience. Each of the selected candidates will receive basic training to be ready for deployment in operational areas.
It will ensure that the officers have the necessary skills to work together, fully complying with the applicable EU law and ethical standards. Following the training, the newly recruited officers are expected to take their posts in the second quarter of 2024.
According to Frontex, its border and coast guard officers are “trained by the best and equipped with cutting-edge technology to be ready for challenges at the borders, maintaining the smooth functioning of Europe’s Schengen Area”.
By 2027, the European Border and Coast Guard standing corps will comprise 10,000 people, among them 3,000 Category 1 officers – Frontex staff, while the other 7,000 officers will be provided by EU Member States.
