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Spain’s police union claims that the border guards are at breaking point due to a NEW biometrics system and lack of staffing in Alicante.
JUPOL, the union of Spain’s Policia Nacional, reported that since the EU’s Entry/Exit System for travellers from third-country countries entered into force in October last year, queues for passengers have reached up to 500 people.
The additional queues and issues push the workload for border agents up to unsustainable levels, while increasing delays at Spain’s busiest international airport.
Total airport staff is around 130 agents. Around 80% of them are assigned to the frontline passport controls.
“If you want more police, you’ll need more machines,” said one agent.
We may need 10 to 15 additional officers in order to cover all shifts.
Travel agents have warned of chaos when Easter travel begins.
The new system causes widespread disruptions, especially at an airport that relies heavily on UK passengers.
Biometric checks replace traditional passport stamping for non-EU traveller.
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The first time a passenger enters the airport, they must submit fingerprints, a photo of their face, and data about their documents. This increases processing times per passenger.
Agents at the border say: “Instead it taking away our work, it’s increased it. We are under a great deal of pressure.
“But ultimately, it’s the traveler that pays the consequences.”
The machines are particularly harmful to older passengers. The fingerprints of elderly passengers can become worn out, resulting in a failed scan.
It redirects the users to the police officers. This forces them to stand in line twice for the same passport stamp.
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At times of high demand, border checkpoints can see queues up to 500 strong.
“Airlines schedule flights at specific times and queues as long as 500 people can form in front of the control.
Sources from the union explained that “you can’t leave your position for a minute or walk away without leaving one of your colleagues exposed”.
It is a worse situation because of the layout of the airport, where arrivals are distributed over three different control points.
It forces officers to share resources, which worsens shortages because the machines add more work.
A typical shift can involve up to 20 officers who cover both arrivals as well as departures.
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