The Minister of Internal Administration announced that this week a contingency plan will be presented to avoid blockages in airport services, as was seen this Sunday, by a plenary session of workers from the Immigration and Borders Service (SEF).
Speaking to journalists in Lamego, on the sidelines of the National Firefighters’ Day celebrations, José Luís Carneiro considered that what happened at Lisbon airport was “very serious”, since passengers on international flights from outside Europe had to wait several hours at passport control.
“The right to hold plenary sessions is an inalienable right of workers, however, it is very important to evaluate the exercise of this right at all times,” he defended.
The official said that the exercise of this right cannot endanger “other values that are also very important, namely, the values related to the interest of the country and the image that the country gives to the thousands of tourists who seek Portugal and They don’t understand how they can spend three, four hours waiting at the airport.”
In this context, José Luís Carneiro said that, during this week, “a contingency plan will be presented that will mobilize various media.”
“It will mobilize human resources that we will recruit in various structures of workers of the Immigration and Border Service throughout the country, to reinforce the contingent available at the airports of Lisbon, Porto, Faro, Azores and Madeira,” he explained.
According to the minister, “the integration of Public Security Police agents will also be reinforced in support of the Immigration and Border Service to guarantee a faster response”, specifically “in the referral to the ‘boxes’ of the service in first line of support and entry within the country”.
“Fortunately, we also have many of the workers and professionals of the Immigration and Border Service who do not agree with what was done today, which was to schedule a workers’ plenary session between 09:00 and 11:00,” he said. José Luís Carneiro, adding that it is known “that it is the time when the greatest number of tourists arrive” in Portugal.
According to the official, “between 9:00 and 11:00 a.m. between 3,500 and 4,000 passengers arrive,” so “if there are workers blocking the service at those times,” they will be “contributing to creating added difficulties.” , incomprehensible, to the regular operation of the airport”.
“It is even necessary to promote a restructuring of the operation of the Immigration and Border Service,” he stressed.
This is because, he justified, despite the fact that it is about fundamental rights, “the country cannot block because it is intended to convene a plenary session of workers for a time when the country is most sought after by visitors from all the countries of the world who want get to know Portugal and that they have a very positive image of Portugal”.
The Minister of Internal Affairs said that, so far, 85 agents and soldiers of the Public Security Police and the National Republican Guard have graduated.
“We have another 120 Public Security policemen in training and, as of July, they will begin to enter and operate in the first line of service at the airport, in support and at the request of the Immigration and Border Service” and under its operational supervision. he explained.
In response to the Lusa agency, the SEF said that it was “unrelated” to the initiative and admitted that “the workers’ meeting will have affected more than 4,500 passengers,” according to estimates by ANA Aeroportos.
At Lisbon airport, Lusa spoke to some of the affected passengers, who confirmed that they had waited more than four hours in “completely disorganized lines”.
Source: Observadora
