On Monday, the Internal Security System (SSI) highlighted the successful launch of this new system, but this Tuesday the situation changed, with tens of thousands of foreign citizens from outside the EU at departures and arrivals at Lisbon airport.
According to the person responsible for UNEF at PSP, the Tuesday is the day with the most flights in and out of the Schengen area (European area of free movement of people and goods) and the new Entry/Exit System (EES) requires “a longer border processing time”.
“Today, looking at the period in which I have been in these roles, for more than a year, is being the most challenging day to date due to the volume of passengers in departures and arrivals, which is requiring a great rate of effort and commitment of resources”, highlighted João Ribeiro.
The deputy national director of the Public Security Police highlighted that “everything that exceeds 90 minutes” constitutes a “risk for passengers, the experience is negative, there are flights that are missed and there are flights that can be canceled”.
João Ribeiro stated that “Tuesdays are always the most challenging days” with tens of thousands of foreign citizens disembarking at Lisbon airport in the morning.
“There are challenges in technological terms, the border processing time has increased substantially and we are unable” to respond, he said.
Estimating that it would be necessary to “double the positions that exist in terms of borders” for the PSP to have an adequate level of response, João Ribeiro admitted that “there is no space at the airport” for this.
He added that all positions are occupied and resources at the airport “are greater than 100%”, which did not prevent “times [de espera] “more than 90 minutes.”
At the end of the morning, the biggest constraints occurred during the matches.
For the SSI, the EES represents “a historic milestone in the management of the European Union’s external borders and a fundamental advance in the modernization and digitalization of border control”, which will “gradually replace the old manual passport stamping procedures with an automated electronic register, contributing to more rigorous, efficient and safe control”,
The SSI emphasizes that, with the entry into operation of this system, “the European Union takes a decisive step in strengthening internal security and preventing irregular immigration”.
The system, which operates at airports and ports, also allows for “automatic detection of exceeding the legal period of stay in the Schengen area”, as well as interoperability with “other European databases”.
According to the SSI, information is shared in real time with the authorities of Schengen countries, through a centralized system that is interoperable with other European security databases such as the Schengen Information System (SIS II) and the Visa Information System (VIS).
In Portugal, the implementation of the system is ensured by the SSI, in conjunction with the PSP, the GNR, ANA – Aeroportos de Portugal, the port administrations and the National Civil Aviation Authority.