Portuguese authorities have decided to strengthen border controls at the country’s airports. Starting on July 4, an additional 340 officers from the Public Security Police (PSP), specially trained for border-control duties, will be deployed to the country’s largest airports. Lisbon will receive the largest contingent, with 140 officers, followed by Porto with 100, while the remaining personnel will be assigned to Faro, Funchal and Ponta Delgada.

The decision follows recent problems with long queues at passport control, particularly at Lisbon Airport. Authorities had previously linked some of the difficulties to the rollout of the European Entry/Exit System (EES), which collects biometric data from non-EU nationals. However, the European Commission maintains that the delays are unrelated to the system, which it says is operating normally.

Minister of Internal Administration Luís Neves said conditions at the airports had already improved in recent days despite high passenger volumes. In addition, 48 extra PSP officers were deployed to Lisbon Airport last week, as it handles the largest share of the country’s air traffic.

We would also like to remind readers that holders of Portuguese residence permits can now use passport-control lanes designated for European Union citizens.