Border control at Lisbon airport entered a new phase with the resumption of the European Union (EU) Entry/Exit System, after a temporary suspension caused by constraints registered in the arrivals area. The measure marks a new moment in the management of passenger flows, at a time when a period of greater affluence at national airports is approaching.
According to the news agency, the system aimed at non-EU citizens has been gradually resumed since the beginning of the year and is now active again, after being interrupted at the end of December to allow for operational adjustments. The same source indicates that the process was reintroduced in a phased manner to avoid new blockages in border control.
Full implementation of the Entry/Exit System is scheduled for April 10 across the EU, ending a schedule that has been progressively applied in Schengen countries. This deadline appears as a reference for the normalization of procedures at all points of entry into the community space.
According to the same source, this calendar results from the need to adjust the functioning of the system after the first months of application, during which operational limitations were identified, especially at Humberto Delgado airport, where greater volumes of passengers were concentrated.
Changes to border control
The system applies to third-country nationals entering the EU for short-term stays, up to 90 days in a 180-day period, replacing the traditional stamp in the passport with a centralized digital record. This change aims to standardize procedures and reinforce control of entries and exits within the European space.
The news agency says that this model includes the collection of biometric data, such as photographs and fingerprints, an additional step that became part of the control process and that had a direct impact on waiting times recorded at Portuguese airports.
Constraints led to suspension
The introduction of the biometric component contributed to a significant increase in waiting times, with passengers facing long queues in the arrivals area, particularly at Lisbon airport. This scenario led to increased pressure on border control services.
Faced with these difficulties, the Government chose to temporarily suspend the system for three months, adopting contingency measures designed to reduce waiting times and reorganize operational operations at the main airports.
Measures to speed up the process
Among the solutions implemented is the installation of self-service kiosks, which allow passengers to anticipate part of the procedures, including recording data and filling in information necessary for border control. This approach seeks to distribute the process into different stages and reduce the concentration of operations upon arrival.
The Ministry of Internal Administration recognizes, cited by Lusa, that “there have been some operational constraints in the airport border control process”, adding that these “got worse” with the phased implementation of the system, which led to the adoption of corrective measures.
Operational reinforcement and new tools
In addition to technological solutions, the human resources on the ground were also reinforced, with the deployment of 24 GNR soldiers to support document control in the arrivals area, in an attempt to respond to the increase in passenger flow and the demands of the new system.
According to the same source, Portugal has also joined the Travel to Europe mobile application, developed by the European agency Frontex, which allows forms to be filled in advance before arriving at the destination. This tool aims to reduce processing time at borders, transferring part of the procedures to a moment before the trip.
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