The Union Association of Police Professionals (ASPP/PSP) is holding a protest plenary session at Lisbon airport this Thursday morning, December 18, due to the Government’s lack of response in resolving the problems of police officers at air borders.
The plenary, which takes place between 7:00 am and 11:00 am at the Control and Border Station, It also aims, as the president of ASPP told Lusa, to criticize the Government for not complying with the agreement signed in July 2024, which has already led the union to abandon negotiations with the Government.
This plenary, which may cause embarrassment at the airport, It comes after the ASSP held another one in November and warned of the continuation of protests in the absence of concrete responses from the Government in resolving the problems of police officers at air borders.
From the November plenary, a document emerged on the situation regarding passenger control at airport borders, a competence that the PSP inherited two years ago from the Foreigners and Borders Service (SEF), which the ASPP sent to the Government, the national management of the PSP, the General Inspectorate of Internal Administration and political parties.
In this document, the ASPP denounces the “great revolt” of the police at Lisbon airport, who refute the criticism that they are responsible for the waiting times and accuse “the intrusion and inexplicable pressure” of political power.
Paulo Santos indicated that the protest is organized “in view of the lack of progress, the manifest devaluation of PSP professionals, particularly with regard to the agreement signed in July 2024, and the persistence of deficiencies in the air security divisions”.
According to ASPP, the end of the SEF and the creation of the National Unit for Foreigners and Borders “only perpetuated existing deficiencies, highlighting a government strategy of implementing a ‘low cost’ police force and the continued devaluation of professionals”.
Waiting times at Lisbon airport have been high, which have increased in recent days, with the Minister of Internal Administration announcing on Wednesday a reinforcement of 80 PSP police officers for the next 15 days with the aim of ensuring the regular functioning of border control and security during the peak period.
Paulo Santos questioned under what conditions these police officers will be placed at Lisbon airport, adding that there is not enough space, nor boxes, since the problem at Lisbon airport is one of “space management”.