A coalition of ten EU member states, including the Czech Republic, has submitted a “non-paper” to Brussels calling for a sharper, more technologically driven mandate for Frontex ahead of the agency’s 2026 reform. Revealed on 19 February 2026, the proposal urges targeted amendments to the European Border and Coast Guard Regulation that would let Frontex assume primary responsibility for coordinating and financing return operations of irregular migrants.
The document argues that the current patchwork of national return programmes wastes resources and creates legal loopholes exploited by smuggling networks. Signatories—Czechia, Hungary, Poland, Croatia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovenia, Greece, Spain and Malta—want a single digital platform that links biometric Entry/Exit data with court removal orders and airline Advance Passenger Information. They also call for wider deployment of drones and AI-assisted risk profiling to locate absconders.
For companies and individual travellers trying to navigate these shifting rules, visa advisory services like VisaHQ can be a helpful ally. Through its Czech portal (https://www.visahq.com/czech-republic/), VisaHQ tracks regulatory changes in real time and offers streamlined application support for Schengen visas and residence permits—assistance that could become even more valuable if the EU mandates tighter data-sharing and exit controls.
![Czechia backs EU plan to widen Frontex powers for migrant returns]()
For Czechia, which joined the Schengen Area in 2007 but has no external EU land border, the main benefit is operational support at Prague Airport, now a regional Frontex hub for air-border controls. The Interior Ministry estimates that shared charter flights organised by Frontex could cut Prague’s repatriation costs by up to 40 percent.
Human-rights NGOs immediately criticised the plan, warning it could emulate the US ICE model and deter migrants from accessing basic services. Czech officials counter that stronger EU coordination is essential if voluntary-return counselling and reintegration packages are to be scaled sustainably.
The non-paper will feed into legislative drafts expected in Q3 2026. Companies moving personnel across Schengen should watch for tighter exit checks and potential data-sharing obligations affecting HR records of third-country contractors.
The document argues that the current patchwork of national return programmes wastes resources and creates legal loopholes exploited by smuggling networks. Signatories—Czechia, Hungary, Poland, Croatia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovenia, Greece, Spain and Malta—want a single digital platform that links biometric Entry/Exit data with court removal orders and airline Advance Passenger Information. They also call for wider deployment of drones and AI-assisted risk profiling to locate absconders.
For companies and individual travellers trying to navigate these shifting rules, visa advisory services like VisaHQ can be a helpful ally. Through its Czech portal (https://www.visahq.com/czech-republic/), VisaHQ tracks regulatory changes in real time and offers streamlined application support for Schengen visas and residence permits—assistance that could become even more valuable if the EU mandates tighter data-sharing and exit controls.
For Czechia, which joined the Schengen Area in 2007 but has no external EU land border, the main benefit is operational support at Prague Airport, now a regional Frontex hub for air-border controls. The Interior Ministry estimates that shared charter flights organised by Frontex could cut Prague’s repatriation costs by up to 40 percent.
Human-rights NGOs immediately criticised the plan, warning it could emulate the US ICE model and deter migrants from accessing basic services. Czech officials counter that stronger EU coordination is essential if voluntary-return counselling and reintegration packages are to be scaled sustainably.
The non-paper will feed into legislative drafts expected in Q3 2026. Companies moving personnel across Schengen should watch for tighter exit checks and potential data-sharing obligations affecting HR records of third-country contractors.
