“At Lisbon airport, the situation is critical, but it is critical not only for reasons attributed to the PSP, which assumed the functions of air border police,” said Maria Lúcia Amaral.

According to the minister, responsibility “is also attributed to the management of the technological resources that were implemented and are required” by the new European border control system for non-EU citizens.

The minister was questioned by several deputies about the situation at Lisbon airport, where passengers have faced queues of several hours in recent days.

The constraints, mainly at Lisbon airport, began to intensify on October 12th, when the new European border control system for non-EU citizens came into operation in Portugal and other Schengen Area countries.

This system stipulates that the entry and exit of travellers from third countries will be registered electronically, indicating the date, time and border post, replacing the traditional passport stamps.

Task force

The minister assured that "the Government has done everything to ensure that the chaos experienced, and how damaging it was, particularly on the 14th, does not happen again," and a 'task force' has been created.

According to Maria Lúcia Amaral, this ‘task force’ is an emergency unit to manage this crisis situation and is composed of representatives from the Internal Security System (SSI), the Public Security Police, and airport management.

“We have been closely monitoring the daily situation together with the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Infrastructure, and the Ministry of the Presidency,” she said.

Regarding the new National Foreigners and Borders Unit (UNEF) of the PSP, which began operating in August, the minister said that “a six-month deadline has been established for all the territorial structures of the UNEF to be complete.”

“At that time, I believe the UNEF will be definitively constituted,” she added.