Cruise Iceland backs Icelandair call for police funding

Cruise Iceland says police need permanent funding for border checks at Icelandic ports, as the number of cruise passengers starting or ending their voyages in Iceland is expected to reach 190,000 in 2028, mbl.is reports.

The association made the request in a submission on the 2027 budget bill. Icelandair has also called for more funding, asking for nearly 700 million Icelandic krónur to strengthen border checks at Keflavík Airport.

Since the end of the coronavirus pandemic, the number of cruise passengers beginning or ending their trips in Iceland has risen considerably. Cruise Iceland estimates there will be about 170,000 next year and 190,000 in 2028.

The association says a new entry and exit system has made border checks much more extensive. In recent years, police forces have received temporary funding to monitor cruise passengers at ports, but Cruise Iceland says this arrangement is no longer sufficient.

It argues that police should receive permanent funding for the work, as they do for border checks at international airports. The funding is needed to ensure security and effective checks at the Schengen area external border, as well as to process passengers quickly and safely, the association says.