LISBON, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Portugal on Monday resumed testing the European Union's (EU) new border control system for non-EU citizens at Lisbon Airport, following weeks of suspension due to prolonged waiting times for arriving passengers.
According to the Lusa News Agency, a police source said authorities reactivated the Entry/Exit System (EES) to assess technical improvements introduced after the system was suspended at the end of December.
The test aims to determine whether the adjustments have alleviated operational constraints, the source said, adding that the system will be suspended again after the evaluation.
The EES, an EU-wide digital border management system designed to register the entry and exit of third-country nationals, began operating in Portugal and other Schengen countries on Oct. 12.
Since its launch, waiting times have increased significantly, particularly at Lisbon's Humberto Delgado Airport in the Portuguese capital, where some passengers reported waits of up to seven hours.
The situation worsened after Dec. 10, when the second phase of the system was introduced, requiring the collection of biometric data, including facial images and fingerprints, from travelers.
At the end of December, the government announced contingency measures at Lisbon Airport, including suspending the EES, to ease congestion in arrival areas.
Last week, Secretary of State for Home Affairs Paulo Simoes Ribeiro told parliament that the suspension did not compromise national security, noting that border controls were reinforced with personnel from the National Republican Guard and the Public Security Police. ■