The European Migration Complex - The evolution of Frontex as an EU agency

Abstract

["" Since its establishment in 2004, the European Border and Coast Guard agency, Frontex, has evolved into a relatively autonomous agency. In 2021, the agency was accused of being involved in pushing back migrants at sea, and therefore violating their fundamental rights. This research focuses on the evolution of the agency by applying historical institutionalism and analysing three critical junctures, namely the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001, the migrant crisis in 2015 and the increased criticism on the agency from 2020 onwards. By demonstrating how unintended consequences occurred in Frontex’ path dependent development, this research will explain how a constant linkage between migration and security, disagreement among the EU Member States and a lack of prioritising fundamental rights within the agency, eventually led to Frontex being able to divert from EU law. The unintended consequences of attempts to find solutions to crises and fix the problems within the agency, only led to Frontex’ activities turning out to be highly problematic and ending up creating problems it was supposed to solve. ""]