The European Border and Coast Guard standing corps has been formed by the EU to ‘represent the entity at its borders’.

The force is expected to number 10,000-strong by 2027.

According to a release on precreding the formation of the corps, starting with 5,000 operational staff in 2021, the standing corps will be fully operational by 2027 with 10,000 staff. In addition, a rapid reserve pool will be created for deployment in emergencies.

“The standing corps will consist of border and coast guards employed by the agency as well as staff seconded on a mandatory basis by EU countries.”

Roberta Metsola said:

“This law will transform the way the European Border and Coast Guard Agency deals with migration, including ensuring 10 000 new border guards and staff are in place; boosting the fight against cross-border crime; protecting fundamental rights and aiding the efficient return of those who are not eligible for protection.

Our guiding principle has been to be fair with those in need of protection, firm with those who are not eligible and harsh with those who seek to exploit the most vulnerable people on the planet. Citizens asked and we delivered – in record time.”

The European Parliament say that the new organisation will be able to support return procedures in member states, for example by identifying irregularly staying non-EU nationals and by assisting national authorities to obtain travel documents.

Just for a bit of perspective and balance here, I recommend reading the following tweets.

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George has a degree in Cyber Security from Glasgow Caledonian University and has a keen interest in naval and cyber security matters and has appeared on national radio and television to discuss current events. George is on Twitter at @geoallison
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davetrousers
davetrousers
3 years ago

Friends and allies.

Marg
Marg
3 years ago
Reply to  davetrousers

Agree. Totally their own decision to do this!

maurice10
maurice10
3 years ago

More legions for the empire.

Stevew
3 years ago

The question here is, why should people care as the UK is no longer part of the EU? The Brexiters’ will bang on about it being an EU ‘Army’ whilst the Remainers’ will explain how we could have been part of an EU security blanket. Either way now, it’s irrelevant unless we as holiday makers decide to stay in Belgium for longer than 90 days without a visa…

Jack
Jack
3 years ago
Reply to  Stevew

I don’t.

Daniele Mandelli
Daniele Mandelli
3 years ago
Reply to  Stevew

We are part of 5 Eyes, which is not an EU entity, and NATO, which is also not an EU entity. There are other security and intelligence agreements beyond the EU ones. It is all well and good being part of an EU security blanket, which would have benefits, too many millions had no wish to be a part of the EU super state that is slowly forming, bit by bit, year on year, as a price of that blanket. We should be friends and allies with Europe, of which we are a part. Europe and EU are different things.… Read more »

ETH
ETH
3 years ago
Reply to  Stevew

The EU remains one of our most significant international and interlinked partners geographically, politically, economically etc. We should care.

John Clark
John Clark
3 years ago
Reply to  Stevew

“decide to stay in Belgium for longer than 90 days without a visa”

Good grief, why on earth would anyone want to stay there for more than 90 days!

To be fair, the third Reich tried to offer us the benefits of its security blanket Steve, let’s see if this forms the nucleus of fourth Reich’s…..

Perhaps to keep the inmates in??

DMJ
3 years ago

Down the rabbit hole to a fully-unified Eurostate.

Nathan
Nathan
3 years ago
Reply to  DMJ

It does show the mindset doesn’t it. It somewhat proves the point that the EU isn’t thinking about trans-European collaboration, drawing in the EEA, Switzerland or the UK. This is about solidifying statehood. And this is what saddens me. I voted for Brexit reluctantly. I like European collaboration and I could tolerate the red tape and bureaucracy but the trajectory is clear. Harmonise, consolidate, comply, conform become a singular centralised political entity. And, I didn’t want that. If that mindset didn’t reside within the EU I would have voted to stay, but it does and so I feel my hand… Read more »

Dave Wolfy
Dave Wolfy
3 years ago
Reply to  Nathan

Spot on, every single key stroke (except the reluctantly bit!)

Nath
Nath
3 years ago

I’m a Brexiteer but I wouldn’t mind us contributing to a Common European Defence force under joint UK, EEA, EU and NATO control. If everyone in Europe diverted 0.5bn to this from their own defence budgets for European defence it would be large enough to add real clout in this local theatre, some EU states may want to divert more as this is the limit of their need. Moreover it would allow other states like the UK and France to develop their other capabilities. I see this as the future of Global Britain, collaboration and cooperation with friends for mutual… Read more »

Steve R
Steve R
3 years ago
Reply to  Nath

Half a billlion for some of the smaller states like the Baltics is basically their entire defence budget.

Nathan
Nathan
3 years ago
Reply to  Steve R

Yep. Why wouldn’t they go all in? If you’ve determined that you are only interested in European defence why wouldn’t you, so long as they DO defend you when the chips are down?

KPB
KPB
3 years ago
Reply to  Nathan

Lots of advantages and disadvantages to that idea. On the latter: Who controls the budget and decides who-buys-what? How do you maintain a decent all-arms capability per-country without have an imbalance across the whole continent? Could Brussels be trusted to leap to the defence of a small member state if the risks were high? i.e. confrontation with Russia or their domestic gas being switched off? By the time they’d reached a unanimous decision, the problem would have gone away… Over-politicisation of the procurement strategy. There would be a lot of pressure for smaller states to buy expensive German and French… Read more »

OldSchool
OldSchool
3 years ago
Reply to  Nath

Oh No. Just more money to the EU bureaucracy……just like they wanted to tie us to PESCO. No thanks. Let the EU states start paying for their own defence. For the last century (and more) Europe has sponged off the US and UK when it comes to defence. Recall France still has paid its WW1 debts off to the US and UK!

OldSchool
OldSchool
3 years ago
Reply to  OldSchool

Not paid.

Mark
Mark
3 years ago
Reply to  OldSchool

Ah, the UK and US are the ones b!tching about being locked out of the PESCO contracts…

Jack
Jack
3 years ago

Thunderbirds are GO !!!!

Levi Goldsteinberg
Levi Goldsteinberg
3 years ago

Another Territorialheer. This only leads in one direction, baby steps…

Sleepy
Sleepy
3 years ago

Looks a smart practical uniform, bit puzzled why they have English on the insignia though.

Mark
Mark
3 years ago
Reply to  Sleepy

The are going to be active in Gibraltar now that they have joined Schengen, also might be in NI, not sure who the EU is using there at the moment, it’s also most likely just a sample.

Darren hall
Darren hall
3 years ago

10’000 strong with a reserve for rapid deployment in emergencies.

Using people ‘Mandatoraly” seconded from their home nations…

Nice…

4th watch
4th watch
3 years ago
Reply to  Darren hall

How will this go down in ROI?

Darren hall
Darren hall
3 years ago
Reply to  4th watch

True, and what about Italy, Poland and Hungary?

John Clark
John Clark
3 years ago
Reply to  4th watch

When National vetos have gone the way of the Dodo in the EU regarding security (by 2030 probably), Ireland won’t have a choice, their neutral stance will be voided and they will have little say in the matter.

Mark
Mark
3 years ago
Reply to  John Clark

This is a border force, not a military… Unless you are suggesting that the UK is going to send it’s Border Patrol forces to a war?

Mark
Mark
3 years ago
Reply to  4th watch

A border force? Given they are likely to be in NI just fine thanks, how are you going to deal with them since they are the ones going to be used in Gibraltar now that it’s joined Schengen?

4th watch
4th watch
3 years ago
Reply to  Mark

My point is, the ROI is neutral. It may run up against the same situation as with the UK 1939-45 namely just supposing the EU had a confrontation with someone and the UK decided for once to remain neutral. The chances are the EU as an Imperial power would ask for bases on Irish soil. How would that work once they have a Kreigsforz?
I know Gibraltar, and can rely on the experiences of the Gibraltarians to handle it OK.

Bob2
Bob2
3 years ago

Interesting development.

What the European migrant crisis over the last decade has shown us that boarder control has fallen on states at the periphery, such as Croatia and Italy, while countries further north and west have had to invest little in defending their own boarders.

Potentially, the development of an EU wide boarder force goes some way to rebalance this.

David Flandry
David Flandry
3 years ago

And what would the potential army do that NATO does not?

John Clark
John Clark
3 years ago
Reply to  David Flandry

Man the guard towers and stop the inmates from escaping David…..

Paul.P
Paul.P
3 years ago

I think I might have seen some already at the Larne ferry terminal….

James
James
3 years ago

The most interesting part is this is imposed on EU citizens ! They have no say over this nor will get a vote on EU membership. I’m glad we live in a democracy that has allowed the British people to chose their destiny regardless whether one voted out or in. It seems like we have 2 tier democracy in Europe one being Tier 1 UK style free choice and tier 2 EU style imposing no choice for citizens authoritarian. We must not close our eyes to this developments in the EU as this affects NATO role . ✌️

Delabatte
Delabatte
3 years ago
Reply to  James

It has been voted by European parlement.. and this one is elected by europeans citizens.. that is democracy as well!

John Clark
John Clark
3 years ago
Reply to  Delabatte

It is, sort off. Trouble is it’s a restrictive
group democracy, for the common good.

In the UK we have sovereign democracy, totally accountable to the British people.

I’m afraid EU membership means you’ve sadly surrendered this….

EU democracy is more akin to shareholders voting rights in a big corporation….

Dern
Dern
3 years ago
Reply to  John Clark

Phew thank god everyone in the UK gets what they want… I’m sure the Scots dont feel like the UK isnt a “restrictive group democracy for the common good.”

John Clark
John Clark
3 years ago
Reply to  Dern

Interesting point Dern, we have Sovereign democracy in Great Britain, accountable entirely to the British people and referendums that are taken as read, unlike the poor citizens of the EU, where an individual members democracy is being increasingly diluted for the common good.

One can quite see why the SNP feel such an affiliation for the EU, they have a similar contempt for ‘the wrong referendum results’.

Love the way you say ‘The Scots’, by the way, reinforcing the illusion that the SNP and Scots people are one and the same thing and they all think the same.

Quite wrong….

Joe16
Joe16
3 years ago

While I’ll not comment on whether this is a slippery slope towards an EU army, I do think that a combined border guard/coastguard is a good idea; I can’t help but feel that we have too many agencies and forces involved in what should be a fairly straightforward scope of work.

Airborne
Airborne
3 years ago

Alba…poor quality budget electrical items….not reliable but ok for those who dont like quality.

Jake
Jake
3 years ago

Well thats if you do and its a long road to get there if you could, you wouldn’t gain much by leaving the UK either.

Dave Clark
Dave Clark
3 years ago

The current EU Frontier Force is fairly emasculated and can’t do anything with decision making being centralised so I don’t expect this to be any different. They’re certainly not going to be invited into Orban’s Hungary to carry out ‘duties’ there.

Love the International Rescue uniform by the way.

Dougman
Dougman
3 years ago

Not going to happen am Scottish and proud to be British leave one union to join another NO.

AlexS
AlexS
3 years ago

Very, very bad.

4th watch
4th watch
3 years ago
Reply to  AlexS

Indeed.

Mark
Mark
3 years ago
Reply to  AlexS

Why?

4th watch
4th watch
3 years ago

We should reach out to certain EU countries that are going to be unhappy with this.
All on the QT you understand, to see if we can help them Euxit. Glad we are out of their prison. Only UK, Norway, Iceland and Switzerland are free.

Mark
Mark
3 years ago
Reply to  4th watch

You do get that Frontex has been developed due to demands by the nations, also the other three nations have far closer relations to the EU than the UK does.

Ryan Brewis
Ryan Brewis
3 years ago

So do nations get to keep their own coastguard/border patrol or are these subsumed into this EU one?

Mark
Mark
3 years ago
Reply to  Ryan Brewis

Yeah all of them remain the same, however this is a force to supplement nations that have in the past been overwhelmed due to events like the Refugee Crisis.

Jonathan
Jonathan
3 years ago

I would say that the better the EU manages its borders security the better it is for the U.K. Having weak neighbours is not good for you own security.

Billythefish
Billythefish
3 years ago

Confiscating ham sandwiches to keep the good citizens of the EU safe…

https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/sandwich-brexit-netherlands-intl-scli-gbr/index.html

The brave Dutch Border Guards who were oddly absent in the 1940s as RAF bombers delivered food and sweets to the starving Dutch populace…

Mark
Mark
3 years ago
Reply to  Billythefish

It’s the same for any third nation entering the EU, no different at the Eastern or Balkan border areas, what’s the problem, thats what the UK choose to be?

Mark
Mark
3 years ago

Bit of irony, Frontex are the ones that are going to be used in Gibraltar now that it’s joining Schengen, think it was a compromise between Spain and Gibraltar over who does customs checks now.