Frontex opens command center in Lisbon to strengthen Spain, Portugal border operations
The European Union's border agency, Frontex, has opened a new command center in Lisbon to coordinate operations and strengthen surveillance along the external borders of Spain and Portugal.
The agency said Thursday that relocating coordination and command functions closer to one of the EU's most important external border regions would improve operational efficiency with the deployment of EU officials.
"Portugal and Spain are key partners with their sea and land borders," Frontex Executive Director Hans Leijtens said.
Frontex noted that both countries also operate major international airports handling large numbers of passengers arriving from outside the European Union.
Focus on migration routes
Spain remains one of the main entry points for migrants attempting to reach Europe, with many crossing the Mediterranean from North Africa in overcrowded and unseaworthy boats.
According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the Central Mediterranean remains the world's deadliest known migration route, with tens of thousands of people reported dead or missing since 2014. Thousands of migrants continue to drown or disappear each year while attempting the crossing.
