In the first ten months of 2024, the number of illegal crossings at the external borders of the EU fell by 43% year-on-year to 191,900, according to data from Frontex. Despite this, migration pressure remains high, with terrorism and cross-border crime also posing growing threats. Technologies that support the operations of protecting and managing EU borders are playing an increasingly important role in tackling these issues. One of the new initiatives from Frontex is a competition concerning a digital twin that can be used to simulate different threat scenarios on the EU’s external borders and response scenarios.
The competition, which begins in December 2024, aims to illustrate the external section of the EU border in the most accurate manner possible. Applicants will decide what data, in addition to satellite data, can be used to ensure that the replica of this area is as precise as possible, and that it can be utilized for the best simulations related to, for example, the placement of border monitoring equipment, explained Marta Krywanis from the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex).
The basis of digital twin technology is designing a model that forms a virtual representation of a real-world object or system, accurately reflecting all of its unique features. Then, tests and simulations are carried out on this virtual model to demonstrate how the product or system will react when exposed to different factors. In other words, a digital twin allows for an accurate replica of actions taking place in a virtual world. This will allow, among other things, the simulation of various threat situations at EU borders and the development of appropriate response scenarios.
“We want to build a digital twin for a certain section of the EU’s external border. However, in the long term, our goal is to have a digital twin for all the external borders of the European Union,” says Marta Krywanis.
The digital twin for a section of the EU’s external border is set to be created based on satellite data from the EU’s Copernicus program. Details of the competition are available on the frontex.europa.eu website.
“At this point, it is primarily a scientific research project. However, if it proves successful, we would like to incorporate it into our portfolio of solutions that we will offer to EU member states. As Frontex, we are an operational agency, so we want all of this to support the actions of people working on the borders. We want to develop new solutions that will provide the best information for member states and Schengen-Area associated countries,” emphasizes Frontex expert.
According to preliminary Frontex data, in the first 10 months of 2024, the number of illegal crossings at the external border of the European Union fell by 43% year-on-year to 191,900. This is mainly the result of a significant decline in migratory routes in the central part of the Mediterranean Sea (-62% y/y) and in the Western Balkans (-80% y/y, to just under 17,000). On the other hand, there was a large increase, reaching 195% y/y, on the eastern land border of the EU. Frontex also reports that the largest number of illegal migrants this year are Syrians, Malians, and Ukrainians.
The complex geopolitical situation, including the war in Ukraine and the unstable situation in the Middle East and the Sahel countries, is having an increasingly large impact on the protection of the EU’s external borders. Migration pressure on Europe remains significant, but cross-border crime and terrorism are also problematic, potentially affecting the safety and functioning of EU borders, as shown in the latest risk analysis published by Frontex, “Frontex Releases Annual Risk Analysis for 2024/2025: Navigating Complex Challenges”.
Combating these threats is increasingly supported by new technologies that streamline border management operations and offer new tools, such as in the fight against the growing problem of human trafficking. In last year’s “The Horizon Technology Scanning Report”, Frontex pointed out that crucial technologies include 6G, AI and data analysis based on artificial intelligence algorithms, autonomous systems, augmented reality and metaverse, which can, for example, open up entirely new training opportunities for the agency’s approximately 3,000 officers.
