Frontex - Operation Hermes 2011

Frontex is the external border control agency of the Schengen countries that was set up in 2005. It tries to streamline all the national capabilities in the Schengen countries, and they can call upon Frontex to help them when they have problems.

Several countries in the south of Europe have done so in the recent past. That is why there was a Dutch minesweeper doing Coast Guard duties in Spanish waters and there were Dutch gendarmes guarding the Greek border.

Italy is the latest country to call upon Frontex to help them with the massive influx of Tunisian refugees.

Frontex received a formal request for assistance on February 15th from the Italian Ministry of Interior regarding the extraordinary migratory situation in the Pelagic Islands. The Italian Government requested assistance in strengthening the surveillance of the EU’s external borders in the form of a Joint Operation. Additionally, Italy requested a targeted risk analysis on the possible future scenarios of the increased migratory pressure in the region in the light of recent political developments in North Africa and the possibility of the opening up of a further migratory front in the Central Mediterranean area.

The Dutch have said they will help, thus you can now see a Dutch Coast Guard plane flying over the Mediterranean Sea.

So in the past 6 months 3 of Europe's southern countries have asked Frontex to help them and with the current situation in Libya chances of less refugees trying to get to Europe look slim.