Key Highlights
- "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.
