Romanian border police officers taking part in Joint Operation “Italy 2026”, coordinated by the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex), have rescued 414 people in distress in the Mediterranean Sea since the start of the year, in the course of 14 search and rescue (SAR) missions.
Romania takes part in this operation with one maritime surveillance vessel and two patrol and intervention boats, which carry out missions in support of the Italian authorities to combat illegal migration and protect human life at sea.
To date, Romanian crews have carried out 190 missions, totaling approximately 1,400 hours of patrolling. In the course of these search and rescue operations, they intervened to save 414 people, including minors and pregnant women.
Each of these interventions involved locating vessels in difficulty, providing first aid to the people on board, and safely transferring them to the competent authorities, in accordance with international procedures on search and rescue operations at sea.
Participation in Joint Operation “Italy 2026” represents only one part of the Romanian Border Police's ongoing contribution to the activities carried out under the coordination of the Frontex Agency to secure the European Union's external borders.
The Romanian Border Police currently has 167 border police officers, 10 vehicles and four naval assets deployed on missions abroad, taking part in operations carried out in European Union member states and in the Western Balkans.
At the same time, Romania benefits from the operational support of the Frontex Agency through the presence, at the country's external borders, of 241 officers from the Standing Corps, with various professional profiles, 274 vehicles, and one surveillance aircraft. These resources are used in operations carried out at the land, sea, and air borders, helping to prevent and combat illegal migration and cross-border crime.
Cooperation between the Romanian Border Police and the Frontex Agency is based on the principle of solidarity and reciprocity. Romania is both a beneficiary of the operational support provided by the Agency and one of the important contributors to European missions, through the deployment of personnel and equipment within joint operations.
In order to strengthen the coordination of joint activities, in the first part of 2026 steps were taken to operationalize and develop the Frontex Liaison Office for Contingent 1 in Romania. This structure facilitates permanent communication between the Agency's headquarters and the Romanian authorities, ensuring the tactical coordination of Frontex staff on mission, as well as the technical and logistical support needed to carry out operations at the European Union's external border.
In addition to its operational component, the Romanian Border Police contributes to the professional training of Frontex Standing Corps members by organizing and conducting training activities within the Frontex Partnership Academies Network, which also includes the institution's own training structures.
Through its active participation in operations coordinated by the Frontex Agency, the Romanian Border Police reaffirms its role as a trusted partner in the European security architecture, contributing to the protection of the European Union's external borders, the fight against cross-border crime, and the saving of human lives.
