The European Border and Coast Guard Agency (EBCGA) is the world’s newest coast guard. Founded by the European Union (EU) in response to the mass migration of refugees from North Africa and Syria, the EBCGA commenced operations on 6 October 2016.
Contrary to the slow, unwieldy EU bureaucracies, the EBCGA was established in record time. The vision for the service can be traced to the 9 September 2015 State of the Union speech by European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, which set as a first priority addressing the refugee crisis. Three months later, the European Commission delivered to the European Parliament draft legislation to model the new agency after the European Union’s national border patrol agency, Frontex.
Member-Only Content
Join the U.S. Naval Institute to gain access to this article and other articles published in Proceedings since 1874. Members receive this valuable benefit and so much more.