The Border Police Office at the seaport, directed by the Chief State Police Commissioner Stefania Montò, is preparing to close the annual report of the activities carried out in the port area of the City of the Strait. During 2023, 197 cruise ships belonging to the most important international shipping companies and 694 pleasure ships arrived in Messina. A total of 508,305 passengers were subjected to checks, of which approximately 14,400 came from non-Schengen countries. Also in light of the various international crisis scenarios, very careful security checks were carried out during the boarding phases of passengers at the terminals, in addition to the consequent border and police checks on cruise passengers and the 197,574 crew members. In total, 140 visas were issued.
The importance and interest that the various cruise companies reveal towards Messina from year to year is confirmed, considering that compared to 2022 there was an increase of approximately 149,000 passengers and crew. As part of the prevention activities, the same specialists from the Messina Border Police carried out surveillance services on the edge of the port area in favor of the numerous cruise passengers, who wanted to undertake tourist excursions in the city and in the province, in close coordination with the crews of the Messina Police Headquarters and the other Police Forces.
Responding to the coordination indications of the Directorate, the 7th Border Police Zone for Sicily, the Messina Office has also this year participated very well in the activities carried out at the international airport of Catania and at the maritime port of Palermo, integrating with its own personnel, the 1st and 2nd border line devices were created in moments of greatest commitment, determined as a result of the intensification of tourist flows linked to the past summer season.