Brussels, 05/01/2016 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday 6 January, the European Commissioner for Migration and Internal Affairs, Dimitris Avramopoulos, will meet ministers responsible for this issue from Sweden, Denmark and Germany. According to an announcement made on Tuesday 5 January by Commission spokesperson, Margaritis Schinas, they will discuss Sweden and Denmark's decision to reintroduce internal border controls in their countries and the impact that this could have on their neighbours.
The ministers of justice and immigration in Sweden and Denmark, as well as the German parliamentary secretary of state from the country's Home Office, were invited to the meeting. Schinas explained that the goal of this meeting is “to improve coordination between the countries concerned in an effort to improve the management of migratory pressures”. On Monday, Germany criticised the simultaneous measures announced by Sweden and Denmark.
The spokesperson added that this meeting also seeks to help get things back to a “normal situation” with regard to the Schengen area of free movement, which is currently “under pressure”.
On Monday 4 January, Denmark announced the reintroduction of temporary controls at its borders with Germany, in response to the new measures that have entered into force in Sweden. These consist of identity checks on passengers coming from Denmark.
On 12 November, Sweden reintroduced other immigration controls on two “motorways” for immigration: the tunnel bridge at Öresund, which connects Denmark and Sweden and ferries from Danish and German ports in the Baltic Sea. Sweden subsequently has demanded that train and coach companies using the Öresund bridge to check the identity of passengers before they embark on their journeys in Denmark.
Although the Swedish law authorising these identity controls was adopted on 17 December and is currently being examined by the Commission, the Danish measures notified on 4 January and which will last 10 days at this stage, initially appear to be in line with the Schengen Border Code, explained Tove Ernst, the spokesperson for Commissioner Avramopoulos. The two countries have justified these measures by highlighting the serious risks to public security in their countries, which is allowed under the Code. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)