Europe’s refugee crisis: Is Frontex bordering on chaos?

According to an investigation by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism (BII) published on 15 September 2015, the FRONTEX agency suffered from a dramatic shortage of border guards, as more migrants and refugees reach the European Union's borders in the Greek islands, on the land border between Greece and Turkey, between Bulgaria and Turkey, and along the Hungarian border with Serbia.

Five months after EU leaders increased Frontex's budget by €26.8 million to cope with the refugee crisis, EU member states had not yet fully responded to repeated requests by Frontex for border guards and equipment to help tackle the problems on Europe's external borders.

EUObserver reported on the 21 September 2015 that the European Commission had proposed to increased the FRONTEX budget by 54% for 2016.

• Primary Source

EUObserver, 15.09.15: Frontex in dire need of border guards https://euobserver.com/justice/130276

ESO: Key source: European Border and Coast Guard Agency (EBCGA | FRONTEX) http://www.europeansources.info/record/european-agency-for-the-management-of-operational-cooperation-at-the-external-borders-of-the-member-states-of-the-european-union-frontex-european-border-and-coast-guard-agency-ebcga/

ESO: Background information: Parliament approves an extra €69.6 million to help cope with migrants http://www.europeansources.info/record/press-release-parliament-approves-an-extra-e69-6-million-to-help-cope-with-migrants/

EurActiv, 18.09.15: Multinational border protection teams to be rolled out http://www.euractiv.com/sections/global-europe/multinational-border-protection-teams-be-rolled-out-317754

EUObserver, 17.09.15: Bulgaria sends soldiers to Turkey border https://euobserver.com/migration/130314

EUObserver, 21.09.15: Frontex to get budget hike after refugee failures https://euobserver.com/justice/130334

Frontex: 2015 budget http://frontex.europa.eu/assets/About_Frontex/Governance_documents/Budget/Budget_2015_N2.pdf

EurActiv, 05.10.15: Hundreds of border guards sought for hotspots http://www.euractiv.com/sections/justice-home-affairs/hundreds-border-guards-sought-hotspots-318227

ESO: Information Guide: European Migration Challenges http://www.europeansources.info/record/information-guide-european-migration-challenges/

Frontex: Press Release, 02.10.15: FRONTEX asks for 775 border guards http://frontex.europa.eu/news/frontex-asks-for-775-border-guards-eQvFQA

EU Law Analysis, 29.09.15: ‘Hotspots’ for asylum applications: some things we urgently need to know http://www.europeansources.info/record/hotspots-for-asylum-applications-some-things-we-urgently-need-to-know/

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