British tourists warned of huge queues in Canary Islands moments after landing

Travelers to Lanzarote are being warned of significant delays upon arrival due to long queues at passport control, especially affecting British visitors.

The Lanzarote Cabildo has called on the Spanish government to increase the number of National Police officers at Lanzarote Airport to address these operational delays.

Since the UK left the EU, British tourists must have their passports stamped when entering and leaving the island, leading to longer wait times.

The island’s governing body stressed the urgent need for more National Police and Guardia Civil officers to manage the surge in tourists, not only at arrivals but also at departures.

Lanzarote’s President, Oswaldo Betancort, described the situation as “unacceptable,” pointing out the extended wait times that both residents and visitors face due to insufficient staffing at airport checkpoints.

“We cannot afford for visitors’ first impression of our island to be one of long queues and lack of attention due to lack of police staffing,” Betancort said.

“It is crucial to enhance airport security services to uphold Lanzarote’s reputation as a top-quality holiday destination.”

While some travelers have blamed the airlines for the delays, the responsibility for police staffing lies with the government, which is tasked with securing the country’s borders.

The delays have sparked frustration among travelers, with some reporting waiting for hours before being able to clear passport control.

One anonymous passenger told Olive Press that they missed their flight because it “was taking too long” to get through the queues caused by the delays. 

“Families were split up and I had to get back to Stansted for cancer treatment”, they said. “Ryanair then had to spend an hour and a half getting luggage off of the plane. Therefore we could have boarded during that time. None of us were late to the gate.

“Disgusting behaviour by a supervisor who made the decision.”