Airport Security vs. Efficiency: Portugal’s Border Control Crisis

The Growing Challenge at Portugal’s Gates

Portugal’s airports, especially Lisbon’s Humberto Delgado, are facing a perfect storm of challenges as passenger volumes soar far beyond designed capacity. In 2024, Lisbon airport handled over 35 million passengers in a facility originally built for just 22 million. This overcrowding has created intense pressure on the border control system, which underwent a significant transition in October 2023 when the Public Security Police (PSP) replaced the former SEF border agency. Police unions are now sounding the alarm that government demands to reduce lengthy queues are potentially compromising national security. Paulo Santos, president of the ASPP police union, expressed serious concern that officers “are working under constant pressure to make it easier for people to enter the country,” which contradicts the government’s public assurances about maintaining proper surveillance. This tension between processing efficiency and security thoroughness has become a flashpoint in Portugal’s border management crisis.

Security Shortcuts Raising Red Flags

At the heart of the controversy is the increasing reliance on what’s called the “Simplified System” – a procedure originally designed only for departures or exceptional situations like computer failures. According to Ricardo Jesus, who heads the Criminal Investigation Career Union representing Judiciary Police inspectors, this shortcut method is now being used daily for extended periods. When operating under this system, border officers merely verify a passport’s validity without entering it into security databases, creating potential blind spots where wanted individuals might slip through. The unions cite a particularly alarming incident from August when a murder suspect nearly departed the country undetected while the simplified checks were in place. He was stopped only because an alert officer noticed his nervous behavior and took the additional step of manually checking police databases. Such incidents highlight the real-world risks of prioritizing passenger flow over thorough security protocols. The situation has worsened since October 12, 2025, with the implementation of the European Entry/Exit System (EES), which requires all non-EU travelers to register through a more complex process including passport scanning, fingerprint collection, and photographs – leading to wait times exceeding 90 minutes on critical days.

Airport Design and Management: Part of the Problem

Police union leaders point to structural issues at the airport itself as major contributors to the border control challenges. Paulo Santos directly criticized airport operator ANA Airports (owned by VINCI), suggesting that commercial priorities are overshadowing security concerns: “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.” Beyond the physical limitations of the aging facility, Ricardo Jesus highlighted problematic scheduling practices that concentrate multiple international arrivals and departures during peak periods, particularly between 7:30 am and 11:30 am. This scheduling creates inevitable bottlenecks that strain the existing border control infrastructure and personnel. The unions argue that the government appears to be prioritizing commercial interests over rigorous security protocols that protect both national and international safety, creating a fundamental tension between efficiency and thoroughness in border management.

Resource Allocation and Personnel Challenges

Contrary to government claims that staffing shortages are the primary issue, both unions maintain that the problems run deeper than personnel numbers. Santos explained, “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.” The current staffing includes approximately 300 PSP members and 35 PJ inspectors working in rotating shifts across Lisbon airport’s terminals. Terminal 1 operates with seven departure boxes containing 14 manual passport control positions plus eight rapid control boxes with 16 positions, while arrivals are managed through eight boxes with 16 positions and a special Area T for travelers from low-risk countries. Terminal 2 has more modest facilities with one exit border featuring four manual positions and six automated rapid controls. Adding complexity to the situation is the uncertain status of Judiciary Police inspectors who were temporarily assigned to airport duty when SEF was abolished in October 2023. These inspectors expected to return to their regular duties, but their assignment has been repeatedly extended, most recently until April 2026. This has created frustration among these specialized officers, with Jesus expressing their sentiment: “We feel that our mission has already been accomplished. You’ve had enough time. We’re here just to take advantage of our labor.”

Official Recognition and Promised Solutions

The crisis has reached such proportions that even airport leadership and government officials have publicly acknowledged the severity of the situation. José Luís Arnaut, chairman of ANA Airports, recently described the queues as “a very serious problem” during a conference in Macau, while Secretary of State for Infrastructure Hugo Espírito Santo went further, calling the situation “a national embarrassment.” In response to mounting criticism, the government has announced plans to increase border control capacity significantly by June 2026. The proposed improvements include a 30% increase in departure boxes and e-gates, a 30% increase in arrival boxes, and a substantial 70% increase in arrival e-gates. Espírito Santo identified several key factors contributing to the current difficulties, including technological instability of the automated e-gates and insufficient PSP personnel. However, these planned improvements will take time to implement, and the ASPP union has called for plenary sessions at national airports on December 18 to further assess the deteriorating situation and potentially pressure the government for more immediate solutions.

Balancing Security and Service in a Complex Environment

Portugal’s airport border control crisis illustrates the difficult balance modern nations must strike between security thoroughness and passenger convenience in an era of mass global mobility. As passenger numbers continue to grow and technological systems become increasingly complex, the pressure on physical infrastructure and human resources intensifies. The unions’ concerns highlight a fundamental question about priorities: should efficient processing take precedence over comprehensive security checks? The current situation has created a paradox where attempts to reduce queues may actually introduce vulnerabilities that undermine the very purpose of border control. Moving forward, Portugal faces difficult choices about infrastructure investment, staffing models, and technological integration. Without addressing the structural issues at airports like Lisbon’s, simply adding more personnel or technology may provide only temporary relief. The outcome of this ongoing tension between security requirements and passenger experience will likely shape Portugal’s approach to border management for years to come, with potential implications for other European countries facing similar challenges in balancing openness with protection in an increasingly mobile world.