The Minister of Internal Administration, Maria Lúcia Amaral, recognizes the responsibilities of the ministry he leads and the PSP in the long queues and waiting hours at Portuguese airportss, namely at Humberto Delgado Airport (AHD), in Lisbon, with the introduction of new border control rules, due to failures in planning and anticipating solutionsbut also shares responsibilities with ANA – Aeroportos de Portugal and with the company that made the automatic reading machines, the e-gates. However, he denies the possibility of disciplinary punishments. But he admits that an apology is due.
The authorities admit that the European border control system for non-EU citizens may be suspended during Christmas to avoid queues at airports, but the Portuguese Government, says Maria Lúcia Amaral, has not yet made a decision on the contingency plan to adopt.
Tiago Miranda
“I do not recognize PSP’s exclusive responsibility [pela situação no controlo de fronteiras no aeroporto de Lisboa]”, stated the Minister of Internal Administration, Maria Lúcia Amaral, heard this Tuesday in the Assembly of the Republic, following a request from Chega, within the scope of the operationalization of the National Unit for Foreigners and Borders and the PS regarding the long queues at airports, particularly in Lisbon, where waiting hours have been situated at peak times between an average of three and a maximum of six hours. A situation that began to occur when the new system for controlling entry and exit at borders came into effect on October 12th, with the reading of biometric data (fingerprints and facial photography), replacing manual stamps in passports with centralized electronic records.
Despite not recognizing exclusive responsibilities to the PSP, the minister admits that there were “managerial failures” on the Public Security Police side. And responsibility that was essentially “non-planning” and a lack of anticipation and reaction in moments of greater passenger flow. It is on Tuesdays that the biggest peak in extra-shengen passengers is felt.
The new rules, called the Entry and Exit System (EES), are also responsible for the Internal Security System, which controls the IT systems and the equipment that supports them, ANA – Aeroportos de Portugal, concessionaire and infrastructure manager, and also contracts with private entities to secure this equipment.
Tiago Miranda
Maria Lúcia Amaral states that there are currently 236 PSP agents at Humberto Delgado airport and the number needed is 270.
Maria Lúcia Amaral states that there are currently 236 public security police at Humberto Delgado Airport (AHD) and that the needs are 270. This, she assures, is what the Government is working on. It says that 10 border guard courses are being prepared, to be launched in 2026. These courses take seven weeks. The minister also explained that European rules require a course for Frontex border guards.
The total number of personnel in the PSP’s National Unit for Foreigners and Borders currently has 1,300 police officers, and the prospect is that this will increase to 2,000 in 2026.
The ruler recognizes that the number of agents at AHD is lower than necessary and that the 16 boxes available at arrivals are not always filled. Ensuring that the implementation of the system “is complex”, and that the PSP elements were not, nor did they have to be, technically prepared for these functions.
Admitting that the problem “cannot be resolved overnight”, the government official hopes that the situation will be normalized by April 2026.
António Pedro Ferreira
Contingency plan for Christmas open
The minister also said that the Government is preparing a contingency plan for Portuguese airports for the Christmas period. A plan will take into account the disruptions recorded in recent days. “We are dealing with and thinking about this contingency plan. We will bring it up in the coming days, taking into account the latest disturbances. It has been thought out and scheduled”, he stated. But it has not yet been decided what they will do, and whether or not there will be a temporary return to manual control.
Authorities admit that the European border control system for non-EU citizens could be suspended during Christmas to avoid queues at airports, a measure that has already been authorized by the European Commission. And he added: “I don’t have a definitive answer on this topic. The decision doesn’t just depend on me.”
Lisbon Airport had a visit on Monday from representatives from the European Commission to evaluate the process of accepting the new rules. The visit ends this Tuesday, so Maria de Lúcia Amaral states that she still has no conclusions to present.
The Executive has a working group to manage passenger flows in the Humberto Airport border control system and reduce waiting times, in daily operation. “This crisis room operates every day and presents daily reports. In the beginning, when the crisis room was established, one of the goals was to achieve controlled waiting times: 30 minutes on departure and 40 minutes on arrival. However, we were unable to get all of this working”, he stated.
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