Portugal's airport border controls are under strain as passenger volumes surge and police unions warn that government pressure to reduce queues could compromise security.
The Public Security Police (PSP) union sent a letter to the Interior Ministry in November raising concerns about working conditions at Lisbon airport, where officers have controlled air borders since replacing the now-defunct SEF border agency in October 2023.
"The police at the airport are working under constant pressure to make it easier for people to enter the country, contrary to what is often sold by the government, that there is proper surveillance," said Paulo Santos, president of the police union ASPP.
Structural issues persist
The union warned that officers are frequently instructed to use a Simplified System when passenger numbers increase at Lisbon airport, which it said leads to security breaches.
Under this system, inspectors simply confirm a passenger's passport validity without entering it into databases.
The system was designed only for departures and exceptional arrival situations such as computer blackouts, but is now used daily for extended periods, according to Ricardo Jesus, president of the Criminal Investigation Career Union representing Judiciary Police (PJ) inspectors.
"Citizens who are under arrest or wanted by the authorities can be passed through," said Jesus, who has worked as a border inspector for almost 10 years.
The ASPP union cited an August incident when a man who had allegedly committed a homicide hours earlier in Porto nearly left the country unnoticed because simplified checks were in place. He was intercepted only because an officer noticed his nervous behaviour and manually consulted police databases.
Entry/Exit System makes it worse?
Implementation of the European Entry/Exit System on 12 October 2025 exacerbated queues at Lisbon airport. The automated system requires all non-EU travellers to register at the border by scanning their passport, taking fingerprints and having their photograph taken.
On 14 October, PSP described the day as "critical", with non-EU passengers waiting more than 90 minutes for processing at both arrivals and departures.
Lisbon airport exceeded 35 million passengers in 2024, according to VINCI, which owns ANA Airports. The airport was designed for 22 million passengers.
Santos said the lack of structural conditions at Humberto Delgado Airport is the main cause of difficulties.
"This pressure is the result of what has been done by ANA Aeroportos, which naturally wants to carry out its business: it wants people to land as quickly as possible and for there not to be very tight supervision, so that this translates into greater profit," he explained.
The union leader accused the government of putting commercial interests ahead of national and international security.
Ricardo Jesus said airport management is also a problem. "When we see multiple flights departing or arriving at certain times of the day at the same time," this forces inefficient use of human resources.
The most critical period is between 730 am and 11:30 am when departing flights to destinations requiring checks coincide with the largest influx of arriving flights.
Lack of human resources or lack of preparation?
Both unions rejected claims that lack of personnel is the main problem. "Even if we increased the number of officers, if we don't create enough space and boxes, the police reinforcement won't allow for better border management," Santos said.
Around 300 PSP members and 35 PJ inspectors staff border control at Lisbon airport in rotating shifts.
Terminal 1 has seven departure boxes with 14 manual passport control positions and eight rapid control boxes with 16 positions. For arrivals, there are eight boxes with 16 positions plus Area T for flights from safer origins such as the US, Canada and the UK with two positions. Terminal 2 has one exit border with four manual positions and six automated rapid control positions.
When SEF was abolished on 29 October 2023, PJ inspectors were temporarily assigned to airports. The government extended their assignment in October 2025, citing the EES implementation. Many inspectors were due to leave in October and were told just a week earlier they would have to stay until April 2026.
"We feel that our mission has already been accomplished. You've had enough time. We're here just to take advantage of our labour," Jesus said.
José Luís Arnaut, chairman of ANA Airports, acknowledged at a conference in Macau this week that queues are "a very serious problem". Secretary of State for Infrastructure Hugo Espírito Santo called queues "a national embarrassment".
Espírito Santo confirmed plans to increase departure boxes and e-gates by 30% and arrival boxes by 30% with e-gates increasing by 70%, to be implemented by June 2026.
He cited "lack of PSP agents" and "technological instability, especially of the e-gates" as two main causes of slow border control.
The ASPP called for plenary sessions at national airports on 18 December to assess the situation.