When EU commissioner Ursula von der Leyen laid out the priorities for her next term in office, she said she would triple the number of Frontex officials to 30,000 and equip them with "state-of-the art technology."

The European Union's decision to strengthen Frontex comes as immigration remains high and as calls by member states to process asylum applications in third countries grow. In addition to this, Russia is suspected of pushing migrants into the EU through shared borders or regional allies.

Soon after the announcement in July, Frontex followed up with tenders worth 400 million euros to buy drones, night goggles and other surveillance capabilities.

"We use these tools to monitor irregular migration routes and detect cross-border crimes such as smuggling," Krzysztof Borowski , spokesperson of Frontex, told DW. "They are particularly useful because they provide real-time video feeds," he explained, to respond to a situation as it unfolds.

Borowski explained that the "operations are focused on key areas like the Central and Eastern Mediterranean, where irregular migration tends to be most active.’"

But giving more men and material to the border management agency that has been engulfed in controversies has led to strong criticism from activists and NGOs.

They fear that more resources for Frontex could become instrumental in pushing migrants back into the hands of authoritarian regimes.

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