This operation will last until mid-September, coinciding with Operation Crossing the Strait of Gibraltar

National Police launch Operation MINERVA'17 in collaboration with FRONTEX, at ports of Algeciras, Tarifa and Ceuta

2017.7.15

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Apart from Spanish police officers, officers from a further 14 Member States are also participating (Germany, France, Italy, Portugal, Belgium, Holland, Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, Sweden and Norway) together with two guest third countries - Georgia and Ukraine. Last year, within the framework of this operation, 1,599,055 border checks were performed on travellers and 385,154 vehicles were searched.

Coordinated by the National Centre for Immigration and Borders


The General Commissariat for Immigration and Borders, through the National Centre for Immigration and Borders, is coordinating the development of Operation JO EPN-MINERVA 2017 at a national level. The operation will run from Friday, July 14 until mid-September and will be carried out at the maritime border posts of Algeciras and Tarifa and in the port of Ceuta, to support the return phase of Operation Crossing the Strait (Spanish acronym: OPE).

The main aim of Operation JO EPN-MINERVA 2017 is not only to step up border inspections aimed at detecting illegal crossings of travellers seeking to enter the Schengen Area, but is also focused on the cross-border crime, including the threat of terrorism. This operation falls within the operational activities coordinated by FRONTEX at external maritime borders of the Western Mediterranean. In addition to the Spanish Law Enforcements Agencies, officers from another 14 Member States (Germany, France, Italy, Portugal, Belgium, Holland, Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, Sweden and Norway) are taking part, together with two guest third countries - Georgia and Ukraine. In total, they have sent 49 experts in the detection of fake documents, experts in border inspections, interviewers and dog handlers.

Since it started 11 years ago, Operation JO EPN-MINERVA is considered by FRONTEX and by the participating countries to be a highly efficient operation since it provides for the inspection of a high number of travellers, vehicles and goods (last year 1,599,055 border checks were carried out on travellers and 385,154 vehicles were searched), coinciding with the return phase of the Operation Crossing the Strait. Also noteworthy is border cooperation between police officers from other Member States and the exchange of border control procedures and good practices in integrated border control management.