Frontex suspends migrant reintegration programme due to lack of funds — Politico Europe

In Warsaw, Poland, is the headquarters of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency Frontex, which has suspended accepting new applications for support with the reintegration of people returned to their countries of origin after being denied the right to remain in the EU. The reason was the early depletion of the programme's 2026 budget, Politico reports.

New applications were halted on 2 October

According to the outlet, on 2 October Frontex suspended the processing of new requests after assessing that expenditure had reached a level that no longer guaranteed full financial coverage. The programme has operated since 2022 and provides financial assistance, medical support, vocational training and counselling for people after their return to their countries of origin.

Frontex spokesperson Chris Borowski confirmed that the agency had stopped accepting new cases into the programme. However, this does not affect people who have already been accepted into it. The agency will also continue providing EU countries with other types of assistance in returning people, including operational and technical support.

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The number of cases exceeded expectations

On average, Frontex took on 2,368 new cases per month. In September, their number was 63% higher than the agency's target, while in the first half of 2026 it was about 75% higher than in the same period of the previous year.

Frontex asked the European Commission for additional funds, but cannot resume the programme without new funding. According to correspondence reviewed by Politico, the agency expects clarity regarding the EU budget for 2027 and the next multiannual financial framework, which will begin in 2028.

The suspension of the programme comes amid EU plans to strengthen its policy on returning people who have been denied the right to stay in the bloc, as well as a possible expansion of Frontex's mandate on returns and reintegration. The European Commission also plans to propose strengthening the agency's capacity to control the EU's external borders and rapidly deploy forces in emergencies.