The European border control system for non-EU citizens, which was suspended in December at Lisbon airport after ‘an outcry’ over queues that built up, is once again operational, the government has revealed.
In a response sent to Lusa news agency, the ministry of internal administration (MAI) stated that the European border control system for non-EU citizens, known as the EU Entry/Exit System (EES), had been “gradually resumed since the beginning of the year and is now fully active.”
The system first came into operation in October in Portugal and other Schengen Area countries; it promised ‘state-of-the-art controls’ but delivered comparative chaos, particularly at Lisbon airport – which is already deemed ‘obsolete’ but handling ever increasing passenger numbers nonetheless.
It was the introduction of the second phase of the EES – which consists of collecting biometric data (obtaining the passenger’s photograph and fingerprints) – that really saw matters deteriorate in the Lisbon concourse, and within a couple of weeks, the government announced the three month suspension.
Otherwise, EES is being implemented in phases across the European Union, with 100% operation across the bloc scheduled for April (coincidentally the moment people tend to travel en-masse for Easter).
In its response to Lusa’s questions today, MAI admits that “some operational constraints have been observed in the airport border control process and, with the implementation of EES, even in phases, these constraints have worsened.”
“To streamline the phased execution of the EES – which will only be fully implemented as of April 10 – and to minimise the impact on border control waiting times, self-service kiosks have been installed at airports. These allow third-country nationals visiting for temporary stays to provide biometric data and complete the travel questionnaire,” adds the ministry.
Since Monday, Portugal has joined the European mobile application “Travel to Europe” developed by the border control agency Frontex. This app allows passengers covered by the EES to complete the questionnaire prior to arrival, speeding up processing time when they arrive at border controls.
The ministry guarantees that it, Public Security Police (PSP), and other entities directly involved in the process “have been working in a coordinated manner to implement measures that ensure the regular operation of border controls at the main national airports, both during the Easter period and as the peak season approaches.”
According to MAI, this work includes continuous monitoring of passenger flows and “adapting the operation setup whenever necessary”.
In addition to the temporary suspension of the European entry/exit control system, the government also reinforced Lisbon airport in December with 24 GNR police agents. According to MAI, these have been “working in the arrivals area since then to perform documentation control.”
Passenger control at airport borders is the responsibility of the PSP – a competence it inherited in 2023 from the extinguished Foreigners and Borders Service (SEF).
The EES system, which replaces traditional passport stamps, applies to all non-European Union citizens entering the country for short-term stays (up to 90 days within a 180-day period), regardless of whether they require a visa.
Source: LUSA
