The situation at border controls at Brussels Airport, where there are sometimes endless queues, is “totally unacceptable”. CEO Arnaud Feist said this on Friday when presenting the airport operator’s annual figures. Despite additional measures from the federal government, he fears “total chaos” during the busy summer months if the problems are not resolved quickly.
Luka Geets
Journalist at HLN
Source: Belga
For months, travelers at Brussels Airport have been faced with long queues at passport control. Passengers from outside the Schengen zone in particular sometimes have to queue for hours. According to Feist, this not only causes frustration among travelers, but also safety risks and damage to Belgium’s image.
“These queues pose a safety problem, for example when passengers become unwell. Moreover, this affects the image of Belgium and our capital,” said the CEO.
Extra checks, extra delays
The new Entry Exit System (EES) has been in effect in Europe since October, whereby travelers from outside the Schengen zone are subject to additional checks. Fingerprints and facial scans, among other things, are registered. This led to delays and long queues at various European airports.
Belgium decided at the end of March to postpone the full introduction of that system for the time being. Minister of the Interior Bernard Quintin (MR) and Minister of Asylum and Migration Anneleen Van Bossuyt (N-VA) already acknowledged that the situation at Brussels Airport was “unacceptable”. “Both for the passengers and for the image of our capital,” says Quintin.
We have been warning for years that we are heading for a wall
However, according to Feist, the problems are not new. “We have been warning for years that we are heading for a wall,” he said. At the same time, he emphasized that the federal police, which is responsible for border controls, is, in his opinion, “doing the maximum with the resources they have”.
At the airport, the federal police is currently facing a staff shortage of approximately 25 percent. “So we cannot point the finger at the officers,” said Feist.
The airport is now counting on two measures to keep the situation bearable during the summer. For example, the automatic passport gates, or e-gates, would be used more often for travelers from outside the European Union. In addition, the federal government provides extra reinforcement for the police at the airport during the summer period.
Yet concern remains high. “Follow-up is needed and the certainty that it will happen to prevent dramatic situations during the summer. Otherwise it will become total chaos,” Feist warned.
