Portugal has deployed soldiers trained as border guards to Lisbon's Humberto Delgado Airport in an effort to reduce waiting times, after the European Entry Exit System (EES) digital border rollout was suspended last month due to security failures. On Tuesday, the Portuguese government approved the stationing of 24 members of the National Republican Guard (GNR) in the arrivals area.
The airport, which handles more than 35 million passengers annually and is Portugal's busiest, has been struggling with long queues. It had already been supported by 80 Public Security Police (PSP) officers over the Christmas and New Year period. The 24 GNR soldiers will work in flexible shifts, with teams of ten and a supervisor, checking documentation.
The European Commission carried out an unannounced assessment of Lisbon airport between 15 and 17 December and concluded there were 'serious deficiencies' in border security control. The experts found poor quality of first and second line border controls, long queues with waiting times reportedly reaching seven hours, and an 'absence of exit controls at the Lisbon Airport border crossing point'. Their warning led the government to adopt urgent measures, including the suspension of the EES for non-EU citizens for three months.
The soldiers have certified training in border control and received two days of administrative training from the PSP, the National Civil Aviation Authority and airport operator ANA. It is not yet known how long the GNR soldiers will remain on duty.
