EU border agency Frontex has deployed about 80 officers to Bosnia and Herzegovina to support border checks and surveillance, with plans to increase to 116 personnel.
The Head of the EU Delegation to Bosnia and Herzegovina and EU Special Representative, Ambassador Luigi Soreca, visited the Bijaca International Border Crossing with Deputy Minister of Security Ivica Bošnjak and Border Police director Mirko Kuprešaković, the European External Action Service (EEAS) announced on Wednesday.
The trip focused on cooperation between Bosnia’s Border Police and Frontex on “integrated border management” — a term used for coordinating border checks, surveillance and information-sharing across agencies — following the deployment of Frontex’s “Standing Corps” last year.
Soreca met members of the Frontex contingent and was briefed on operational activities including border surveillance, detection of document fraud and joint operations with Bosnia’s Border Police.
Frontex officers have been present on the ground since November 2025 and have brought expertise and equipment to support border surveillance, border checks and the detection of fraudulent documents.
Cooperation between Frontex and the Border Police was described as “positive and professional” under an agreed Operational Plan.
Focus on border control and cross-border crime
Operational cooperation between Bosnia and Herzegovina’s security agencies and the EU is “at a high level”, particularly on border control, tackling illegal migration and fighting cross-border crime, Bošnjak said in the same statement.
He stressed that officers from Bosnia’s Border Police were working “side by side” with Frontex.
Cooperation with Frontex and EU institutions is a priority for the work and strategic development of Bosnia’s border management system, Kuprešaković said.
He cited EU support through projects, equipment donations and expert assistance, and said the aim was “a secure and effectively controlled border” that enables legal movement of people and goods.
Frontex’s deployment in Bosnia and Herzegovina officially began in November 2025 after agreement on an Operational Plan, with a gradual expansion towards full operational capacity of 116 officers.
Frontex personnel support local authorities with border checks and surveillance and contribute expertise in document fraud detection, risk analysis and the integrated border management concept, as well as providing access to EU systems and tools.
Soreca also raised the establishment of a National Coordination Centre and further work on risk analysis and inter-agency cooperation mechanisms during the visit.
