Thank you, thank you very much, Henna, good afternoon to everyone.

Maybe let me also start by saying what we have already achieved together. And this is a lot.

Our reforms are actually delivering, illegal migration is down,

returns are up, threats are being stopped at the border.

So this is really good news, I would say, and you were mentioning, some of the figures and numbers, and I would really like to, to reiterate that because, when it comes to illegal migration,

our reforms, like the pact, of asylum and, and migration, the safe countries, the safe third country concept,

the safe country of origin, list, and all the other reforms, and also our migration diplomacy.

Have actually, paid, paid off, you were mentioning the -55%, in the last two years, but also when you look into, specific routes like the Western Balkan route, for,

for instance, a minus 95% in the last three years,

or the Western Western African and Central Mediterranean route, a minus 80%, in the last two years. So it actually, pays off.

Also on returns, we have, The new return regulation, this is in force since October 16th, and also here,

of course, migration diplomacy, plays a very important role and, and delivers results as well.

And then when it comes to the borders, threats are being actually stopped at the, at the borders with our new entry exit system,

you mentioned that, Henna, the most modern border management system in the world, we have to comparison to the US to Canada.

To other regions in the world, and this is a significant boost also for our security, altogether, just to give you some numbers there, 250 million entries and exits have been registered in the last,

year, 80,000 people have been refused to enter the European Union,

that's actually 220 people every day, just to get these figures also right.

And 2000 people have been stopped because they pose a security threat to the European Union.

So this entry exit system is really a remarkable boost, I would say, for our security,

and this actually leads me to today's proposal also because protecting our external

borders is a fundamental task for any state in the world, I would say.

It is a preconditional for upholding our freedoms, for upholding our security, keeping EU citizens,

safe, but it is also about strengthening trust between the member states.

We can only uphold our freedoms if we protect our external borders effectively.

That is why today we propose a stronger Frontex.

We must act before an event becomes a crisis, and it must be us to decide who can enter the European Union,

who can stay, but also who must leave the European Union again.

We have built very strong foundations,

and now we are strengthening Frontex in 3 very concrete ways.

First of all, Frontex needs to be faster, needs to be more agile, and needs to be better prepared.

So we have to make Frontex ready to act before an event actually becomes a crisis, and we have examples, of course, of member states facing exceptional situations, hybrid threats, instrumentalisation of migration, mass illegal arrivals fueled by By smuggling gangs,

and then also online disinformation, of course, they have all these events have actually unveiled the, the, the limitations in the Frontex mandate so far,

and sometimes even preventing, the agency, to offer adequate support,

in such events to the member states.

So, we need to learn the lessons, of course, and therefore we propose for Frontex to detect dangerous trends early for the first time, and you mentioned that,

Henna, for the first time, Frontex will have an explicit mandate to monitor social media for content that endangers people,

but also, of course, border security.

The second point there is to have better access for important information so we can counter events before, as I said,

before they actually become a crisis, and the third point, very important point,

is if there is a threat to our borders.

And therefore to our security also together there will be a quick reaction force to intervene very quickly.

We want Frontex to be there in hours, not in weeks as it is the case now. The second important point is returns.

Frontex will play a more important role when it comes to returns.

We have to be very clear there, I think.

Our migration policy altogether is only credible if we actually enforce it.

So since the start of this mandate, the European Union has been working to fix this and to put in place a new common return system, and this return regulation,

as I said before, is in force since the 16th of October, and Frontex, of course,

does already a lot and provides significant support already in returns to the member states. They carried out nearly 64,000 returns last year.

They chartered more than 220 flights and they assisted almost 20,000 people also in reintegration.

But of course, especially when it comes to returns,

we can and must do better at returning those who have no right to stay in the European Union.

That is why today we propose to make Frontex the central EU actor on returns.

Frontex will be responsible for return related support, actually from A to Z, I would say,

from strategic planning, on the one hand,

to more cost efficient returns and also to reintegration.

And, today, as you mentioned, we also propose a new regulation to digitalize return.

I think this is also a very important point because it will actually reduce the paperwork and it will reduce the the, the administrative burden also, and we will have,

we will also have a clearer picture of what happens to people staying illegally in the European Union and by the way,

we are planning to do the same for our asylum procedures.

So more about this, next year, to come.

But of course, and this is also important, we do not stop, we do not stop here.

We are also adding a new tool for our migration diplomacy, which I was mentioning before as well.

Of course, the main objective of Frontex will always be and will remain to increase returns from member states,

but we also introduce the ability for Frontex to support third countries on returns,

so carry out returns from a third, from a third country.

Of course, this will only be possible if there are agreements in place, of course,

and where this is also, of course, in the interest of the European Union.

And the third, main point, is, and finally, to deliver actually on, on all this,

Frontex will be stronger, will be better equipped, and also better, organized.

There will be more strategic planning, first of all.

To make sure that Frontex, the Frontex support goes where the member states actually need it.

Secondly, Frontex will train border guards across all member states so that our external borders are protected everywhere.

To the same standards, to the same high standards, and thirdly, Frontex will support in other areas that are key to our border security, for example,

with the new visa support office, it will actually help the member states to tackle issues like document fraud,

for instance, which is important. So why are we doing all this?

Because our borders, of course, face new challenges, as we know, orchestrated crossings, for instance, smuggling networks, changing routes,

of course, hybrid threats, threats, instrumentalisation, you name it,

and no member state can actually meet these challenges alone.

Our response has to be faster, has to be stronger.

And has to be better coordinated, and that is what we deliver with today's proposal.

Frontex will be ready to respond, as I said, before an event turns into a crisis,

and it will become the central actor, the central EU actor on returns.

So strong external borders, firm and fair procedures, effective returns.

That is how we uphold our freedoms on the one hand.

But also to keep our citizens safe and also strengthen the trust between the member states of the European Union.

Thank you.