Portugal to Deploy 340 PSP Officers to Airports for Faster Border Checks

Portugal’s Minister of Internal Administration, Luís Neves, announced that from 4 July an additional 340 Public Security Police (PSP) officers, currently in specialised border‑control training, will be deployed to the country’s international airports. The allocation will be 140 officers to Lisbon, 100 to Porto, with the remaining personnel assigned to Faro, Funchal and Ponta Delgada.

The reinforcement follows recent bottlenecks at airport immigration desks, which the government partly attributes to the EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES). The European Commission, however, has stated that the system is not responsible for the longer queues. Neves highlighted that the staffing boost aims to balance security – knowing who enters and leaves – with efficiency, especially as tourism peaks in the summer. He also referenced a prior addition of 48 PSP officers to Lisbon airport and urged the media to report accurately without distortion.

The measures are part of broader efforts to improve border‑control facilities, introduce new technical equipment, and expand processing booths, with the goal of alleviating delays for travelers and supporting Portugal’s tourism sector.