Lisbon Airport is now full of beggars inside the terminal

Nobody likes Lisbon Airport, voted the world’s worst airport multiple times.

A lot to say about it.

But there’s something new we experienced going there today. It’s now flooded with beggars.

We sat at a cafe with our suitcases, and I swear 5 beggars in less than 10 minutes came by to ask for money. We kept saying no, and they were very pushy. When I said “no, no, no man” cause I was getting sick of it, the guy got aggressive and started shouting “NO NO NO??” and it got super dodgy.

What’s weird is the beggars don’t look like beggars, they look pretty clean, well dressed. It looks like an organized crime ring that pays people to beg and then takes a big cut. Very dodge.

Except for the check in desks for USA, there’s almost no police presence at the airport. I researched why and apparently it’s because at Lisbon Airport the police presence has now been radically reduced:

“The reduced police presence at Lisbon Airport is due to a combination of factors:

1. Staff Shortages: Lisbon has lost around 2,000 police officers over the past 14 years, leading to a significant decrease in available personnel. 

2. Sick Leave and Protests: Approximately 60 of the 375 police officers assigned to Lisbon Airport have been on sick leave, partly as a form of protest over working conditions and pay disparities. 

3. Morale Issues: Officers from the Public Security Police (PSP) have expressed dissatisfaction with their roles, feeling undervalued and considering themselves as “cheap labour” when supporting the Foreigners and Borders Service (SEF). 

These issues have collectively strained the airport’s security operations, making it challenging to address problems like aggressive begging.”