Schiphol warns of queues at passport control
Schiphol's management wants extra money to be made available to tackle the long queues at passport control. According to CEO Nijhuis, the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee (KMAR) has been struggling for years with staff shortages, which could cause long waiting times, especially in the summer months.
The issue seems even more pressing now that the Marechaussee is being deployed more and more due to the increased threat level and the influx of asylum seekers. Extra staff for Schiphol seems a long way off.
The Marechaussee guards the borders of our country, among other things. The KMAR is therefore always present at Schiphol and other airports. The Marechaussees check passports and ensure safety and order. The KMAR is often confused with Customs. For example, many people say that they have gone through customs at Schiphol, when they actually mean the passport control of the KMAR.
If expansion is not possible in the short term, Schiphol pleads for more money for technology. Automated identity checks based on facial recognition already exist at Schiphol. That system is called No-Q, which means: no queues. Unfortunately, the system is not fast and reliable enough. Too often people still have to sign up for regular passport control. According to de Nijhuis, this is mainly a software problem and can be solved with extra money.
The Marechaussee says that it understands Schiphol's concerns and is consulting with the Ministry of Security and Justice about the deployment at Schiphol in the summer months. Every effort is made to clear queues at passport control as quickly as possible, without compromising the quality of border control.
The Ministry of Security and Justice is in consultation with the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee and Schiphol to find a solution to the congestion caused by passport checks at the airport. There is talk about the occupation, but also about the use of new technologies and about the control policy itself.
Technology that will replace man, that is the key word for the innovativelings. There is no money to employ more people in a country where the jobs are already scarce. A bad trend. Also in the army police, extra training and appointment of people is only rarely discussed. In the past, the airport police was disbanded, as was the aviation service of the then national police and in its place the Royal Military Police, which incidentally does an excellent job, but may be allowed to show up during the summer months with reinforced rosters and get everything for the choosing. There is no money for anything, only for the banks and the new Dutch, who are provided with bed and breakfast in full numbers. So for the time being longer in line, safety first. There are worse things to worry about. For everyone enjoy your trip or holiday and don't let the fun spoil.
Indeed, safety above all, and have never experienced unpleasant things, always correct. But what I don't understand is that a whole row of passport scanners is crossed off in red if they can't deploy enough staff, but that must be my fault.