by Customsnews 12/11/2022, 02:00

Ensuring security at the airport border gate

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has signed Decree 93/2022/ND-CP dated 7 November 2022 on management and security at the airport border gate. The decree takes effect on 22 December 2022.

Customs officers inspect import and export goods at Tan Son Nhat International Airport. Photo: T.D

Customs officers inspect import and export goods at Tan Son Nhat International Airport. Photo: T.D

This decree prescribes the management and national security, social order and safety at the airport border gate; air border gate area; responsibilities of ministries, agencies and People's Committees of provinces and centrally run cities which have air border gates; responsibilities of specialised state management agencies at the airport border gate.

Scope of the air border gate area

The scope of the airport border gate area includes areas for exit, entry and transit of people, vehicles, export, import, and transit of goods, with clear boundaries and signboards according to regulations, such as:

Passenger terminal area: the area to carry out procedures for exit, entry and transit of people and vehicles; customs checkpoint area; luggage area; storage area for goods, checked-in baggage, and lost luggage; terminals for import, export, and transit goods; export warehouse and import warehouse.

Aircraft parking area: an area for aircraft on exit, entry and transit; loading and unloading, transhipment, and storage areas for import, export and transit goods.

Other areas related to exit, entry and transit of people; import, export, and transit of goods and vehicles in the case of international flights permitted to land in places other than airports.

The scope of the immigration isolation area, located within the air border gate area, is calculated from the exit control platform to the aircraft door and from the aircraft door to the entry control platform.

In case the aircraft is parked at the aircraft parking area, the space inside the passenger transport vehicle from the departure gate to the boarding gate of the exiting aircraft and from the exiting gate of the incoming aircraft to the entrance to the immigration check-in area is considered an entry-exit isolation area.

The flow of passengers and luggage

The decree specifically stipulates the flow of passengers, goods and luggage at the airport border gate.

Specifically, regarding the flow of passengers, for passengers on entry, after disembarking the aircraft, the passengers must follow medical quarantine procedures, quarantine procedures for accompanying animals and plants (if any), immigration control procedures and customs procedures.

For passengers on exit, passengers will follow aviation procedures, exit control procedures, customs procedures and aviation security screening, respectively.

When disembarking the aircraft, passengers in transit will follow the quarantine procedures and aviation security screening, respectively.

During the pandemic, the flow of passengers can be governed according to the regulations on the prevention and control of infectious diseases of the Ministry of Health.

Regarding the flow of goods and luggage of passengers, imported goods and luggage of passengers on the entry that is not accompanied by passengers when disembarking will go through quarantine procedures ( medical, animal and plant) and customs clearance.

And exported goods and luggage of passengers on exit, which passengers do not accompany, will follow quarantine procedures (medical, animal, plant), customs procedures and aviation security screening.

Ensuring security at the airport border gate area

The decree prescribes measures to ensure security at the airport border gate area, including patrolling, controlling, preventing, detecting and handling law violations; monitoring the activities of people and vehicles at the airport border gate by technical equipment; other measures as prescribed by the Law on People's Public Security, the Law on National Security and other relevant laws.

Regarding measures to ensure security at the immigration isolation area, the decree stipulates: Controlling people entering and leaving the immigration isolation area; patrolling, controlling, preventing, detecting and handling law violations in immigration isolation areas; supervising the activities of people and vehicles at the immigration isolation areas by technical equipment; other measures as prescribed by the Law on People's Public Security, the Law on National Security and other relevant laws.

In case there is a risk of threatening national security. However, it is not severe enough to declare an emergency. It is necessary to apply special control measures at the airport border gate according to the decision of the Prime Minister. The Ministry of Public Security shall assume the prime responsibility for operating the flow of passengers following requirements to ensure security; arrange patrol forces; and establish security checkpoints at vital areas to monitor the entire airport border gate area and place ban and restriction signs.