Does your company provide
medical services before and during flights, whether chartered or scheduled? Do
you want to contribute to the safe travel of returnees? Are you ready to assist
in pre-travel checks, on board and during transfer of the returnees to the
authorities of their country of origin?
Join us on 20 March 2024
during our Online Industry Day!
Frontex, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency,
plays an important role in managing the EU's external borders and combating
cross-border crime. A key aspect of our mission involves supporting EU Member
States and Schengen-associated countries in safe returning of irregular
migrants to their countries of origin. This process includes coordinating
return operations based on decisions taken by EU country authorities.
The Online Industry Day is dedicated to enhancing medical
services during return flight operations. We want to hear from
commercial operators skilled in providing comprehensive medical support before
and during flights – both chartered and scheduled. Your expertise can
significantly contribute to the safety and well-being of returnees throughout
their journey.
We are particularly interested in the following
medical services:
Medical personnel:
Medical supplies and equipment:
- Provision and transportation of drugs,
- Specialised medical devices.
Pre-departure services:
Medical check-ups and fit-to-fly validations at:
- Airports of origin (potentially multiple locations based on operational
logistics),
- Hub airports (prior to chartered flight departures).
In-flight services:
- Onboard medical assistance for returnees and operation members.
Post-flight services:
- Coordination and support in handing over returnees to local authorities
at airports of destination (potentially multiple locations based on operational
logistics).
Additional considerations:
- Mental health support: Provision of mental health support services during pre-departure,
in-flight, and at the point of handover.
- Language and cultural sensitivity: Services should consider the linguistic and cultural
diversity of returnees.
- Emergency medical response: Capability to handle in-flight medical emergencies.
Industry Days are a platform to interact and engage
with experts from the European Border and Coast Guard community. The goal is to
create a forum where participants can freely discuss the proposed
solutions.
The Industry Days will be held in an online format
which will host engaging presentations and dynamic discussions. Each
participating entity will have a 40-minute slot at their disposal; during this
time a presentation, Q&A session, and collaborative discussions will be
held. All relevant submission to the Industry Days will
be invited to register on an interactive digital exhibition platform.
If your organisation is at the forefront of these
medical services provision for return operational flights, and you wish to
place your service in the spotlight, we invite you to express
your interest by filling in our online registration form. The call for
expression of interest will be open until 8 March 2024. Please
provide an overview of the medical services for return flights you wish to
showcase.
Attendance to this meeting is by invitation only. More
information will be communicated separately to the selected applicants. After the
submissions deadline, Frontex will select the most relevant
technological solutions. The selection is based on the following criteria:
effectiveness, efficiency, innovation and relevance for the European Border and
Coast Guard community.
All submissions will be evaluated internally, ensuring
alignment with the needs of the European Border and Coast Guard community while
guaranteeing fair and transparent treatment of all participants.
Medical services for return flight solutions must
respect the legal limitations resulting from the European Union data protection
rules and human rights provisions.
We are happy to share the downloadable report from the
Industry Day on Medical Escorts on Commercial Flights for Return Operations.
How many companies presented their services?
Five companies presented their medical services to the EBCG
community during a virtual meeting.
What was discussed during the meeting?
The meeting enabled a direct and comprehensive discussion on
the solutions included in the submissions between the providers and Frontex.
Where can I find the presentations?
The presentations can be found below.