EU migration defence | Cape Verde: Frontex wants to send surveillance aircraft to the Atlantic

Frontex says it is in talks with the Cape Verdean authorities about possible aerial surveillance in the sea area off the island. This is intended to detect boats en route to the Canary Islands. This was stated in a response to a question from EU MP Özlem Demirel . This may involve the stationing of aircraft that Frontex leases from private companies. To date, the agency has only initiated such cooperation with European third countries , most recently in Albania and Montenegro.

A deployment in the Atlantic would be a game-changer for European migration defense. Concrete details are not yet known. In response to an inquiry from "nd," Frontex explained that the mission aims to support Spain in responding to irregular arrivals on the Canary Islands while simultaneously preventing "the loss of life on the dangerous Atlantic route from West Africa." The spokesperson declined to comment on further questions.

The planned deployment is likely to focus on the waters off Senegal and Mauritania. Frontex originally wanted to conclude status agreements with both countries to allow it to conduct operations in their territorial waters or on land. Despite previous positive signals, the governments of both countries have refused to begin negotiations for a status agreement, thus making a conclusion a distant prospect.

A deployment in the Atlantic would be a game changer for European migration defence.

The planned cooperation with Cape Verde builds on previous operations – in particular the maritime operation "Hera," launched in 2006, which Frontex conducted jointly with Spain. It consisted of two parts: "Hera I" monitored the coasts and departure points in West Africa, while "Hera II" intercepted migrant boats on the high seas and returned them. The basis was bilateral agreements between Spain and the participating African states. However, at that time, Frontex did not yet have its own aircraft. Cape Verde was therefore involved in the surveillance for the early detection of boats.

Senegal and Mauritania participated operationally in "Hera II." Their border troops were deployed on Spanish patrol boats to facilitate returns directly at sea – without systematic identification or assessment of protection needs. According to a recent study, around 92 percent of the intercepted individuals were returned to the participating countries. Such pushbacks have been considered illegal since a 2012 ruling by the European Court of Human Rights .

Future surveillance flights would therefore have to be coordinated with the maritime rescue coordination centers of Senegal and Mauritania – following the example of an EU deal with Libya . Discovered boats would then be intercepted by their coast guards. Such cooperation was recently suspended due to tensions between the Spanish coast guard and Frontex over operational control off the coast of West African states. With the talks with Cape Verde, the border agency could now attempt to circumvent this blockade – without Spain's direct involvement.

However, migration along the Atlantic route has recently declined significantly. In the first half of 2025, around 11,000 arrivals were registered in the Canary Islands – a decrease of 43 percent compared to the previous year. According to an internal EU document, Mauritania is considered the main country of departure, followed by Senegal. Among the arrivals, people from Mali constituted the largest group at 44 percent, followed by Senegalese nationals at 21 percent.

Left Party MP Özlem Demirel sharply criticized Frontex's plans: "It's not about rescue or aid, but about isolation and control." She pointed out that Frontex was carrying out so-called pullbacks in the Mediterranean "with inhumane militias like the so-called Libyan coast guard" – that is, illegal returns of people seeking protection with the help of a third country.

The maritime rescue organization Sea-Watch also voiced criticism: "If Frontex were to conduct a flight operation on African soil for the first time, for example in Cape Verde, it would be another nail in the coffin of the oft-proclaimed European humanity," the organization told "nd." Frontex, together with militias, is deliberately preventing refugees from reaching Europe and thus safety. Instead of funding state-sponsored sea rescue, the EU has opted for years for "the state-organized death of people on the run and for the militarization and externalization of its borders."