Frontex launches first full-scale operation in Bosnia

Over 100 Frontex officers from across Europe will soon work alongside Bosnia’s border police to strengthen border management, combat cross-border crime, and improve information exchange, all while ensuring full respect for fundamental rights.

“Working together makes a real difference,” said Frontex Executive Director Hans Leijtens. “Our officers will stand side by side with their Bosnian colleagues to help ensure secure and lawful border management.”

The launch follows years of preparation and a close partnership between Frontex and the Bosnian authorities. Leijtens attended an official ceremony in Sarajevo with European Commissioner for Home Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner and BiH Civil Affairs Minister Dubravka Bosnjak.

Commissioner Brunner emphasised that “the security of the Western Balkans is the security of Europe,” noting that Frontex cooperation has helped cut illegal border crossings in the region by more than 90 percent over the past three years.

Acting BiH Security Minister Ivica Bosnjak highlighted that joint operations with Frontex are already visible at the Sarajevo International Airport and several border crossings, calling the initiative “a key step forward in Bosnia and Herzegovina’s European integration and contribution to collective European security.”