Almost 500 immigration liaison officers are deployed by member states and the EU in order to maintain contacts with the authorities of third countries on migration issues, such as prevention and combatting of illegal migration, return facilitation or managing legal migration. The EU aims to strengthen the cooperation and coordination between liaison officers. According to Herbert Kickl, Minister of the Interior of Austria, “cooperation with third countries is an essential aspect of the EU’s response to migration, to ensure that this cooperation produces results and that we work together as effectively as possible, close coordination, particularly between our liaison officers on the ground, is essential”. To do so, the proposal to improve the functioning of the existing European network of immigration officer, agreed on 14 November by EU ambassadors, includes provisions such as introducing a steering board at EU level to strengthen the management of the network and the coordination of liaison officer, strengthening the role of liaison officers in combating migrant smuggling as well as making available funds in support of activities of immigration officers that will be allocated in agreement with the steering board.