This article analyses to what extend the rapid growth of Frontex has been accompanied by adequatedemocratic accountability, whereby the author draws on her experiences as a Member of Parlia-ment. She elaborates on the safeguards in legislation but also on their application in practice, with afocus on the lessons the Parliament learned from its own inquiry on the role of Frontex inpushbacks. The contribution subsequently puts democratic control to a test on two relatively recenttasks of Frontex: return and external cooperation. Regarding the latter, the Parliament's role ishighlighted in the negotiations on the Frontex status agreements between the EU andMauritania/Senegal. The article answers the question of what obstacles must be overcome, throughlegislative amendments or changes in practice and culture, for the Parliament to exercise its roleeffectively. Two of these factors are dealt with more prominently: transparency and cooperationwith national parliaments.