Brussels, 04/01/2016 (Agence Europe) - On Monday 4 January, Denmark and Sweden both notified the European Commission of the temporary reintroduction of controls on the internal borders.
Denmark has reinstated controls on its borders with Germany, to prevent refugees without documentation from entering, Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen announced, in response to the controls announced by Sweden on the same day. “The Swedish identity checks could increase the risk that a large number of illegal immigrants will come to Copenhagen and the surrounding area”, he said. The Danish controls will not be systematic, but random. They have been brought in for an initial period of 10 days, with the possibility of extending them.
Since Monday, Sweden has required bus and train passengers to show proof of identity in order to cross the Öresund Bridge, the main point of entry to the kingdom for refugees from Denmark, AFP reports. Some 30 crossing points have been set up and systematic checks have been in force since midnight in the Danish station of Kastrup and in Copenhagen airport, where travellers leave for Sweden.
A fence two metres tall and several hundred metres long has additionally been built in Kastrup station to prevent migrants who have been turned back from jumping onto trains for Sweden. This measure, which was announced by the government on 17 December of last year, also concerns ferries on Öresund Strait. Germany has hit out at both decisions, with its Foreign Ministry reiterating that the “freedom of movement is a precious good” within the European Union. The Schengen agreement “is very important, but is in danger”, said the spokesperson to Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Martin Schäfer.
According to the European Commission, there are currently six countries, five of which are EU member states, carrying out controls on their internal borders: Germany, Austria, France, Sweden, Denmark and Norway. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)