PSP union denounces “intrusion and inexplicable pressure” from political power at the airport

The largest PSP union considers that it is “completely unrealistic” to define waiting times with the structure that currently exists, stressing that “It is exhausting for all police officers to be confronted daily with news about the PSP’s lack of capacity to control passengers at the borders”.

“Such allegations are false and a tremendous injustice for the PSP police, who placed Lisbon airport at the top of European refusal and fraud detection rates”he says, recalling that since the time when SEF operated at Lisbon Airport, the same infrastructure and control positions have been maintained.

According to the union, the only substantial change was the adoption of a new computer system and more recently the entry into force of the new entry and exit system, which worsened waiting times, in addition to Lisbon airport breaking the passenger record, which contributed “to overload an infrastructure that is inadequate for the volume of passengers passing at the border”.

Recalling that the number of human resources that the PSP has in Lisbon exclusively dedicated to border control is greater than that of the SEF, the ASPP considers “the lack of human resources to be a fallacy”, since “the problem of waiting times at Lisbon airport cannot be solved just by increasing human resources”.

ASPP understands the recent Government order that foresees the reduction of waiting times at the Lisbon air border as a “pressure test”.

“Such a change requires the PSP to create a crisis office and a target of 100 days to adopt measures that allow compliance with the new waiting times. However, such a change is not the result of any structural change, reinforcement of means that increase the capacity to control passengers, merely materializing a political intention, without any technical explanation, without any metric and, therefore, destined for failure”reads the document that results from a plenary held in November with police officers working at Lisbon airport.

ASPP also denounces “political pressure around Lisbon airport, driven by different ministries, hand in hand with ANA Aeroportos”noting that all police officers from the Foreigners and Border Control unit of the Lisbon Command “are posted to the airport”.

The document, signed by the president of ASPP, Paulo Santos, emphasizes that “the influence exerted is capable of removing personnel from public patrolling to serve private interests”.

“Decisions that call into question the work carried out by the police within the scope of border control, which denote the intrusion and inexplicable pressure of political power, which leads to changes in decisions to refuse entry”he explains, also reporting the lack of working conditions for police officers, such as the presence of rats and worn-out equipment.

In the document, the union also talks about the lack of conditions for foreign citizens who are refused entry into the country, who have to remain in the international zone and are only provided with a camp bed and are often deprived of a shower and personal hygiene, creating “a nauseating environment”.

ASPP also highlights that “there are not the minimum conditions at the border control station to interview families, unaccompanied minors, victims or vulnerable people”.

“Police officers have been subject to external and internal pressure, misinformation, subjection to unworthy working conditions, work without breaks, repetitive and prolonged work, discredit of their work and lack of recognition, which has led to a situation of discouragement, stress and, in some situations, professional burnout”the document also states, in which an intervention from the MAI and a position from the national management of the PSP are requested.