Hour Long queue at passport control in Gardermoen

Hour Long queue at passport control in GardermoenHour Long queue at passport control in Gardermoen.Photo : Knut Fjeldstad / SCANPIX

Wednesday was up to a two hours queue to get through passport control and into Norway at Gardermoen. Illness, vacation, many travelers and few policemen at work contributed to the problems.

The situation this Wednesday was not uncommon in the summer for this busy airport, says Lars Hegstad in border control to newspaper Aftenposten.

– How is it almost every day now. People stand in long queues. We get inquiries from passengers who are afraid of missing their planes. They had not considered that it would take so long, says Hegstad.

Acting Head of Romerike in Eastern Police District, Bjorn Vandvik, describes the situation as challenging. While the police station has calculated that they need 225 employees, the on duty figure is currently at 175. Taking account for vacation, sickness and ended temporary posts, only 150 are actually at work.

To remedy the situation, the employee police students are there to assist with issuing emergency passports.

– We see that the staffing situation at Gardermoen is pushed to extremes in the summer, but it is our impression that their employees are doing their utmost to deliver excellent policing services, said police director Vidar Refvik.

 

Source: NTB scanpix / Norway Today