Border control checks on 500,000, 83 refused entry since Saturday

The Portuguese authorities have checked more than 500,000 people since the start of reinstating document control at borders in the context of World Youth Day event (WYD), having prevented 83 people from entering the country.

Air borders are where most citizens have been checked as part of this operation. On Wednesday alone, more than 71,000 passengers from 407 flights were checked, the overwhelming majority originating outside the Schengen area.

Document checks at land, air and sea borders under WYD came into force on Saturday and are being carried out in a selective and targeted manner based on intelligence and risk analysis.

According to the operational balance made on Friday by the Internal Security System, in the first six days 31,874 people were checked at land borders, 438,402 passengers at air borders and 36,3587 at sea borders, totalling 503,633 people.

As part of the operation, 83 people were refused entry, 50 of whom were trying to reach Portugal by land and 33 by air.

At air borders, 2,571 flights have been checked since the beginning of the operation and four people have been detained, at land borders the authorities have checked a total of 7,559 vehicles and at sea borders 635 vessels have been checked, 117 of which in the last 24 hours.

The reinstatement of document checks at border controls will remain active until 00:00 on 7 August and is “exceptional in order to safeguard possible threats to public order and internal security”, according to a government decision.

Border control in the context of WYD, an event that will take place in Lisbon between 1 and 6 August and will be attended by Pope Francis, is in charge of the Immigration and Borders Service (SEF), with the assistance of the Public Security Police (PSP) and the National Guard (GNR), in addition to the possible collaboration of authorities from other countries.