The Minister of Interior Administration said Tuesday that there was “a significant drop” in waiting times at airports in June and in the first half of July, from about two hours to less than 60 minutes.
Regarding the airports, the contingency plan was carried out and the human reinforcement resources were assigned within the foreseen period, having been able to observe, throughout the month of June and in the first fortnight of the month of July, a significant decrease in the average maximum waiting time for passengers, from about two hours to less than 60 minutes,” said José Luís Carneiro in parliament.
As an example, the minister mentioned that, in the last week, the the average wait time was 41 minutes and the average wait time for the entire month of July was 49 minutescompared to 111 minutes in May.
The contingency plan of the Immigration and Border Service for Portuguese airports during the summer months has a set of measures that began to be implemented in June and came into force progressively until the beginning of July.
Among the measures is a reinforcement of 238 elements of the SEF and PSP during the summer months, 82% more than the current workforce at border posts, increasing the workforce at airports to 529, and various technological solutions.
In a hearing of the Committee on Constitutional Affairs, Rights, Freedoms and Guarantees, the minister stated that “the constant updating and monitoring of technological equipment and the expansion of the Rapid system to the United States and Canada have significantly increased the use of e-doors in Lisbon.”.
José Luís Carneiro also highlighted “The joint work with ANA which has allowed the improvement of spaces, signage, information, among other operational improvements”.
Regarding the restructuring of the Immigration and Borders Service, the official has said that the Government is working “in a serene, constructive and safe way with the security forces and services and with the unions to carry out this reform”.
The minister also said that the evaluation of the human resources of the SEF that the PSP and the GNR need to carry out their missions has already been completed and the training of 176 soldiers from the PSP and 37 from the GNR, with another 61 Items still in preparation. Progress of the Republican National Guard.
Within the framework of the extinction of the SEF, which in the meantime was postponed until the creation of the Portuguese Agency for Migration and Asylum (APMA), the police powers of the Immigration and Border Service will pass to the PSP, the GNR and the Judicial Police, while the current powers in administrative matters in relation to foreign citizens are now exercised by the APMA and the Institute of Registries and Notaries.
Source: Observadora
