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Sweden extends border controls with Denmark
TheCopenhagenPost
February 2nd, 2017
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This article is more than 6 years old.
Despite declining numbers of asylum seekers, controls will be in place for at least three more months
Sweden’s controls along its border with Denmark will be continued for three more months when they expire on February 11.
“The need for order and security remains high,” Swedish PM Stefan Löfven told the news agency TT. “We are still in an uncertain state.”
Border controls were introduced in late 2015 to curb the number of asylum-seekers trying to get into Sweden. Despite sharply declining numbers of asylum-seekers, Sweden has chosen to extend the checks.
Danish controls also extended
Denmark recently announced that its border controls with Germany would also be extended for three months.
“Pending the control of the external borders of Europe, it is essential for us to extend border controls,” explained the Danish immigration and integration minister, Inger Støjberg.
The EU Commission gave the green light for the three-month extension, even though it had hinted that the last extension would be the last it would permit.
READ MORE: Swedish border controls could hurt Danish economy
Over 400,000 people pass through the border controls between Sweden and Denmark each week.
During the last four weeks of 2016, 231 were declined and 13 sought asylum, according to TT.
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