Maria Lúcia Amaral acknowledges that the implementation of border control rules “went very badly” and worsened in recent days, with waiting times at Lisbon airport rising to six hours. While recognising the responsibility of her ministry and the National Unit for Foreigners and Borders, she also shares blame with ANA and the entities that manufactured the electronic entry gates.
New border control rules at airports went "very badly", admits Minister of Internal Administration and shares blame
Tuesday, 16 December 2025RSS
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Context & Explainers
The border-control system is the set of checks and databases used to process non-EU travellers at entry points — passport and visa checks, biometric data capture and automated database searches such as the Schengen Information System (SIS) and the Entry/Exit System (EES). A temporary suspension of automated checks at Lisbon Airport means those arrivals may be processed differently (more manual checks or national procedures), which can change wait times, administrative workload and how security checks are carried out for non‑EU citizens.
