Polish MEP Stanisław Tyszka (ESN) has asked the European Commission to clarify how the planned increase of Frontex's standing corps to 10,000 staff by 2027 will translate into a more effective operational presence at the EU's external borders and improved returns, rather than an expansion of the agency's administration. The question, submitted on 7 July 2026, targets the gap between the legal target and current staffing levels, and seeks detailed breakdowns of deployment and tasks.
Tyszka's parliamentary question, addressed to the Commission, requests three sets of data: first, the numerical breakdown of standing corps officers between those actually deployed on operational activities, those in training or on standby, and those performing administrative, analytical, training, logistical, or fundamental rights monitoring tasks; second, the deployment of officers by Member State, Schengen associated country, and third country, specifying how many are assigned to border protection versus return activities; and third, the Commission's plan to ensure that the increase to 10,000 officers primarily strengthens frontline border control and returns, not the agency's bureaucracy.
The question references Regulation (EU) 2019/1896, which set the 10,000 target for the standing corps by 2027, comprising 3,000 officers employed directly by Frontex and 7,000 seconded by Member States. According to Tyszka, Frontex reported 2,545 occupied posts at the end of 2024 and around 3,800 officers stationed at the EU's external borders in June 2026. The MEP's inquiry suggests concern that the agency's administrative expansion may outpace operational deployment, a cleavage between operational effectiveness and institutional growth.
The Commission is expected to reply within approximately six weeks. The answer will signal the Commission's assessment of Frontex's current staffing and its priorities for meeting the 2027 target, potentially affecting EU border security policy and the agency's future structure.