Earlier this month, Sweden revealed that it would extend its stringent ID border control between Denmark and Sweden for buses, trains and ferries for another three months.

Now, the European Commission has agreed to accept Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Norway and Austria’s bid to further extend their temporary border controls. Denmark has accordingly announced that the Danish border control with Germany will continue until 12 February  2017.

“This is something that the government has been working on, and as long as there isn’t control in Europe’s outer borders, we must be able to control who crosses the Danish border,” said the integration and immigration minister, Inger Støjberg.

“I see it as a serious risk that refugees and migrants without the correct ID paperwork are stranded here if they are not permitted to travel on to Sweden. So a border control continues to be necessary.”