Interior Ministry reassures mayors and denies restoring border control at VDM

The interior minister assured on Monday that ad hoc spot checks would be carried out at the borders during World Youth Day (WYD), which belied the restoration of border controls.

“Whenever these large flows occur, in this case at the land border, our National Republican Guard (GNR) cooperates with the Spanish Civil Guard and carries out the so-called selective non-systematic border controls with the aim of regulating the flows and for the purpose of controlling a border that is different from replacement of borders,” said José Luis Carneiro.

The Minister assured that “what was done in 2017” will be done during the visit of Pope Francis, and that, by the way, is now done in Fatima, because 300,000 pilgrims have arrived.

On Monday, it was announced that Intermunicipal Community (CIM) President Alto Minho expressed “displeasure and concern” to the Minister of the Interior over the restoration of border controls during WYD.

In a statement sent to the news departments, CIM Alto Minho, which brings together the 10 municipalities of the district of Viana do Castelo, said that the exhibition, delivered on Saturday to José Luis Carneiro during a trip to Viana do Castelo, was taken jointly with the European Territorial Cooperation Group (EGTC) Rio Minho.

“First, there is no need to worry, mayors can be sure. This weekend I was with CIM President Manoel Batista who asked me a question and I told him there is no need to worry and I don’t need a letter,” the Interior Minister said today, speaking to reporters in Moors.

It is, he stressed, about “the restoration of non-systematic selective control, because there are flows coming from all over Europe”, and “it is necessary that they be carried out with a guarantee of security.”

“This is the first goal of WYD to make it work properly, security is really important because we will have a million or a million and a half people here,” he said.

He added: “Many will arrive from Eastern Europe, others will arrive via the Mediterranean and enter European countries and arrive by land, and there are even those who will arrive from Latin America by plane and go to Spanish airports.”

“Therefore, it is necessary to cooperate with the Spaniards in regulating flows at the borders in Spain and then on the land route before arriving in Portugal,” he stressed.

Regarding cross-border mobility, the minister said that “mayors can rest easy” because, he repeated, “this is nothing but what has already been done in 2017 with the visit of Pope Francis and what was done a few days ago in known as Operation Fatima.

For the mayors of Alto Miño, the replacement of the borders will be a measure that “will affect the daily lives of thousands of people crossing the border, to which is added the tourist dynamics of the period under review, the first week of August.” .

According to CIM Alto Minho and EGTC Rio Minho, “The period under review from August 1st to 6th is marked by great tourist intensity, facilitated by cultural programs carried out in a timely manner with tourists in mind, but also by the return of thousands of expats who use their summer holidays to have fun in their homeland. “.

The two organizations emphasize that “the land border between Eurocity Valensa and Tui is the busiest in the country, with a daily traffic volume of 22,000 vehicles, and the possible replacement of border controls during WYD will cause serious inconvenience in commercial and labor dynamics in a cross-border context.”

WYD, considered the largest event of the Catholic Church, will be held this year in Lisbon from August 1 to 6, and about 1.5 million people are expected.

The days were born at the initiative of Pope John Paul II after the success of the meeting organized in 1985 in Rome as part of the International Year of Youth.