The EU border agency is constructing a new headquarters and a training centre for its “Standing Corps” in Warsaw. Abolish Frontex sees this as further fortification and militarisation of Europe.

By 2027, the EU border agency Frontex is set to build up a “Standing Corps” of 10,000 officers. 3,000 of them will be armed and commanded from the headquarters in Warsaw. This means the European Union will have its own border (border-)police for the first time – in former times, Frontex has relied exclusively on contingents from member states. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has announced plans to even triple the “Standing Corps”.

With the establishment of this centralised border force, Frontex will also become responsible for its training. Until now, this has taken place in so-called “partner academies” in 25 EU states. In 2024, 1,605 participants were already trained there; for 2025 Frontex puts the number at 920, and for 2026 at around 900. The figures come from the current response to a parliamentary question by left-wing MEP Özlem Demirel. Training for Frontex takes place there exclusively in English.

Now Frontex is establishing its own training centre in Warsaw. Similar to the seat agreement for the headquarters, the EU agency has concluded an agreement with the Polish government for this purpose. The centre is initially to provide basic training for the 3,000 Category 1 officers. These are border police officers who are directly employed by Frontex. The remaining 7,000 officers will continue to be seconded from member states for short-term or long-term deployments.

In recent years, basic training has been carried out primarily at police facilities in Spain, Portugal and Italy. Originally, Frontex had planned to locate the training centre at a sports university in Warsaw that had previously conducted aptitude tests for the agency. However, no agreement appears to have been reached on this. For 2026, Frontex is therefore planning a Europe-wide tender for its own permanent location.

According to Frontex, the training of the “Standing Corps” includes theoretical and practical content, including border controls, border surveillance, deportations, investigations and coercive measures. For this purpose, Frontex officers use firearms, rubber batons and pepper spray. Last year, Frontex sought a training partner within a 50-kilometre radius of the headquarters in Warsaw for this. Frontex budgeted €2.3 million for shooting training and a further €700,000 for “training in restraint techniques” – each for two years with an option to extend. However, both tendering procedures initially ended without suitable bids.

Even after the planned central training centre becomes operational, the now 42 “partner academies” at police and border guard schools in member states are set to remain. Personnel from third countries will also continue to be trained there. This is known to date for units from Albania, Georgia, Montenegro, Ukraine and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Border authorities from North Africa and the Middle East are also involved through EU Commission programmes, including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Libya and Sudan.

This externalisation of European migration defence has long been criticised. More than 130 groups and organisations are organised in the “Abolish Frontex” network, which regularly holds demonstrations, events and workshops and publishes materials online. Most recently, on 18 December, International Migrants’ Day, “Abolish Frontex” organised protest actions against the new plans in six EU states – including Germany. “Frontex training centers are normalizing exclusion and control. Money invested in Frontex infrastructure means more pushbacks, more deaths at sea and more suffering at EU borders”, a spokesperson declared.

At the headquarters in Warsaw, Frontex is currently still renting. In addition to the expansion of training infrastructure, the EU Parliament approved the construction of its own headquarters for €250 million a year ago. The building is to house a round-the-clock surveillance centre for directing Frontex operations as well as a centre for developing new surveillance and control technology. The planned credit financing of 75 per cent of construction costs was contentious – a first for EU agencies until then.

Published in German in „nd“.

Image: Lessons in camouflage: The new “Standing Corps” is being trained, armed and commanded directly by Frontex (X/Frontex).