Frontex drones assisted in returning 33,000 people to Libya and Tunisia

Frontex, the European Union border agency, used aerial surveillance to help Libyan and Tunisian authorities intercept and return at least 33,000 people in the central Mediterranean between late 2018 and 2024.

The Liminal project, an initiative funded by the European Union, found that Frontex aircraft detected at least 36 percent of all recorded pushbacks in 2021.

The agency has already set aside 330 million euros for aerial surveillance by 2027, while the European Commission requested another 169 million euros for drones and high-altitude systems. Liminal reported that Frontex identified 16 cases where aerial assets detected a migrant boat but did not alert nearby charity ships that could provide assistance. The agency currently broadcasts alerts on public radio frequencies accessible to anyone in range.

The project suggests these actions turn Libya and Tunisia into proxies for European migration policing while increasing pressure on charity rescue vessels.