Long queues usually form at passport control, leaving passengers waiting for hours
Portugal’s government is to implement “urgent measures” to tackle the long and chaotic queues at border stations at Lisbon and Faro as part of its new immigration plan.
The news flew somewhat under the radar on Monday in light of the announcement of Portugal’s clampdown on immigration.
Singled out as one of the focuses of the government’s immigration plan, the efforts to mitigate the issues will involve “adjusting the circuits of those spaces” and hiring more staff specialised in helping passengers navigate the “new border systems”. The goal is to “optimise the path that travellers take when departing and arriving” and “increase the number of stations whenever it is physically possible.”
The Resident has frequently reported on the long queues which form at Faro Airport’s passport control, leaving passengers waiting for hours, many times in cramped spaces. In the most extreme cases, passengers have fainted due to the chaotic scenes.
Passengers often take to social media to share photos and videos of the queues, stunned that such queues could form at the only international airport of a world-famous tourist destination such as the Algarve.
The issues have now been recognised by Portugal’s government, which is promising to address them.
michael.bruxo@portugalresident.com
