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AN EMERGENCY MEETING HAS BEEN CALLED AMONG TOP SPANISH POLITICIANS AFTER A 'THIRD WORLD' SITUATION GREETED BRITS ARRIVING IN THE CANARY ISLANDS FOR THE START OF THE SCHOOL HOLIDAYS

WILLIAM MORGAN Senior reporter 12:45, 30 May 2025Updated 12:55, 30 May 2025 A crisis summit has been convened by high-ranking Spanish officials following the ordeal faced by British

travellers who were subjected to two-hour-long queues and described conditions as "inhuman" at the outset of the school holidays, even before reaching passport control. On Monday

(May 26), hordes of British tourists, approximately 500, found themselves marooned on Tenerife South Airport's tarmac for around 45 minutes, only to be greeted by malfunctioning

escalators and seemingly interminable lines weaving within and without the terminal for passport inspection. Within the airport, some passengers reported seeing four officials manning just

two passport control booths. Consequently, crowds were squeezed into what was labelled as "claustrophobic" and likened to "third world" conditions. Locally based Lourdes

Tourecillas, who had been returning from Bristol, recounted to Canarian Weekly how, "Some parents lifted their children onto their shoulders to stop them from suffocating," further

noting the lack of toilets and clear signs of distress among the public. Rosa Dávila, President of Tenerife's governing council, has urgently gathered officials in response to this

episode, identifying prolonged waits and disarray as recurrent issues plaguing the bustling airport during zeniths of tourist influxes, reports the Mirror. Dávila has deemed the

circumstances "unacceptable" whilst attributing the root cause to an ongoing shortage of border staff ever since Britain's departure from the European Union. She further

stated: "This is a structural issue. We can't continue to operate with the same staffing levels we had pre-Brexit." WE HAVE A DEDICATED NEWSLETTER FOR CHRONICLELIVE’S

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THE COST OF LIVING CRISIS IN OUR REGION. Article continues below One of the significant problems encountered by travellers on Monday was the airport's automated checking systems'

failure to process children's passports. This resulted in families having to endure hours-long queues with their children and luggage in stifling heat, marking an unpleasant start to

their holidays. The council's President expressed her frustration at the lack of response from mainland politicians, stating: "There's a serious lack of respect towards

Tenerife. We're managing essential services locally, but without state support, we're being left to fail,". Tenerife's Tourism Minister, Lope Afonso, voiced his concerns:

"This is the first impression our visitors get. After hours on a plane, they're met with long waits and no explanation. It's not acceptable, and it's hurting our brand

as a quality tourist destination,". "Tenerife competes globally. Other countries have adapted their systems since Brexit. Why haven't we?". He also issued a warning for

those planning to travel during the summer, stating: "We need immediate solutions to avoid this happening again, especially with the busy summer season ahead."