The Portuguese authorities have checked around 673,000 people since the start of the reinstatement of document control at borders in the context of World Youth Day (WYD), having prevented 115 people from entering the country, it was announced today.
Data from Saturday’s operation show that 85,000 more people were checked and 21 were refused entry compared to the previous day.
Air borders are where most citizens have been checked as part of the operation – on Saturday alone there were more than 79,000 passengers on 463 flights, the overwhelming majority originating outside the Schengen area.
Document checks at land, air and sea borders in the framework of WYD entered into force on the 22nd and are being carried out in a selective and targeted manner based on intelligence and risk analysis.
According to the operational balance made today, in a statement, by the Internal Security System, in the first eight days 39,280 people were checked at land borders, 595,473 passengers at air borders and 38,181 at sea borders, for a total of 672,934 people.
As part of the operation, 115 people were refused entry, 76 of whom were trying to reach Portugal by land and 39 by air.
At air borders, 3,476 flights have been checked since the start of the operation and four people have been detained, at land borders the authorities have checked a total of 9,814 vehicles and detained eight people, and at sea borders 906 vessels have been checked, with no detainees so far.
In all, 12 arrests have been made since the start of the operation.
The reinstatement of documentary border controls will remain active until 00:00 on August 7 and is “exceptional in order to safeguard possible threats to public order and internal security”, according to a Government resolution.
Border control in the context of WYD, an event that will take place in Lisbon between August 1 and 6 and will be attended by Pope Francis, is in charge of the Foreigners and Borders Service (SEF), with the assistance of the Public Security Police (PSP) and the National Republican Guard (GNR), in addition to the possible collaboration of authorities from other countries.
