More people refused at Schiphol passport controls Inland

At Schiphol, the Marechaussee is responsible for both border security and all police and investigative tasks. Last year, 541 drug couriers were arrested, compared to 703 in 2018. Passport checks denied 2,795 people in 2019, an increase of 20 percent. People are refused if they have an unclear destination or insufficient money to stay in the Netherlands, for example, or if the travel documents are incorrect.

In 2019, 276 reports were made to the Marechaussee of shoplifting at Schiphol Plaza or other so-called outlying areas, ten times more than the previous year. Most arrests, 171, came from the supermarket at Schiphol Plaza after theft.

157 reports were received from the section behind passport control and security checks, compared to 143 the year before. This led to an arrest in sixty cases.

Other thefts, such as pickpocketing (39 in 2019, 89 in 2018), baggage theft (168 in 2019, 258 in 2018) and theft from checked baggage (38 in 2019, 95 in 2018) fell sharply.

Theft of a vehicle or vehicle parts was reported 15 times, compared to 21 times in 2018. The number of collisions at and around Schiphol fell to 527, compared to 638 the year before. The number of crashes in which people were injured dropped from 137 to 106. However, more drivers were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. In 2018 there were 95, in 2019 that number increased to 123.

The number of vandalism increased slightly, from 76 in 2018 to 91 in 2019. There were also 1067 incidents related to nuisance. These are often caused by homeless people and confused persons. In 2018, there were 1167 incidents of this kind. The number of reports of aircraft nuisance from aircraft passengers dropped from 115 in 2018 to 77 in 2019.

At the moment it is also quieter at Schiphol. According to the Marechaussee, this is mainly due to the corona crisis. Therefore, since the entry ban went into effect on 19 March and the Schengen area was provisionally sealed off for travelers from outside the EU, 65 people have been refused.

–