Members of the European Parliament questioned Migration Commissioner Magnus Brunner on November 4, 2026 about plans to widen the EU border agency Frontex's role in returns. Centrist and left-leaning lawmakers said the expanded mandate could create more fundamental rights problems, while Brunner said existing obligations would remain and any return agreement would need Parliament's approval.
The Commission plan would make Frontex responsible for return-related support from beginning to end, a role that currently sits with member state authorities, and would require Parliament approval for any agreement covering returns from non-EU countries.
Members of the European Parliament raised concerns on November 4, 2026 that fundamental rights could suffer under European Commission plans to expand the mandate of the EU border agency Frontex. Migration Commissioner Magnus Brunner addressed the Parliament's Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Committee about the proposals.
Brunner presented the overhaul plans the previous week. They would put Frontex in charge of strategic planning and pooling resources for cost-efficient returns, and add reintegration support. The agency would also be able to help non-EU countries with deportations from their territory.
Brunner told the committee that member state authorities would still take decisions on returns, but that Frontex would become "responsible for return-related support from the beginning to the end, from A to Z." He confirmed that under the Commission plan Frontex could help deport people from EU countries to hubs outside the bloc, and from those hubs to third countries.
Centrist and left-leaning lawmakers said they worried the wider mandate would bring larger fundamental rights pitfalls. Strik asked how Frontex would comply with EU law while obeying the laws of third countries with a different legal framework, and said the arrangement would clearly lead to the risk of more fundamental rights violations. Laurent asked how far Europe could externalize its migration policy while also externalizing its human rights defense policy, and said a more powerful agency should have more careful oversight.
Brunner said Frontex already has firm fundamental rights obligations that remain in place under the plans. He said the agency would assist non-EU countries in returns only under an international agreement laying out fundamental rights safeguards, and that the Parliament would have to sign off on any such agreement.
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