The Secretary of State for Infrastructure, Hugo Espírito Santo, stated that border control delays at Portuguese airports are part of a broader European problem rather than a national failure. This contradicts the European Commission, which maintains that processing times for the new Entry/Exit System (Sistema de Entrada/Saída or EES) should be minimal.
Government claims airport border delays are a European issue
Friday, 22 May 2026AI summary
Context & Explainers
The Entry/Exit System (Sistema de Entrada/Saída or EES) is an automated IT system for registering travelers from non-EU countries, both short-stay visa holders and visa-exempt travelers, each time they cross an EU external border. It replaces the manual stamping of passports and is designed to improve security and identify overstayers within the Schengen Area.
5 sources
- Government shifts blame to Europe for border control issuespublico.pt ·
- Government contradicts European Commission, claiming airport queues are a "European problem"dn.pt ·
- Passenger control: Government denies responsibility for the systemrtp.pt ·
- Border control problems "have a European dimension"observador.pt ·
- Azores Parliament demands solutions for maritime border controlcmjornal.pt ·
