Sweden has introduced temporary border checks in an effort to control the increasing flow of immigrants in to the country. The measures came into
ADVERTISEMENTSweden has introduced temporary border checks in an effort to control the increasing flow of immigrants in to the country.
The measures came into effect on Thursday and are due to go on for ten days.
Police are checking passengers’ papers on trains arriving from Denmark as well as ferries from Germany.
Random vehicle checks are also in force.
“People can apply for asylum at the border,” said Patrik Engstrom, a Swedish border police officer.
“Reintroducing border controls does not affect the right to seek asylum in Sweden. It just means that you do it directly at the border and then go to the migration agency to apply and register.”
In neighbouring Norway one increasingly popular route in to the country for migrants is through Russia. They have come on bikes since the crossing is closed to people on foot. Just last week over a thousand people arrived at the Storskog crossing.
“I saw on television that Norway has good cities. They help you to study and everything so I came here,” said
Muhammed Kazem who originally came from Afghanistan.
The Norwegian Directorate of Immigration said that 2,452 asylum-seekers arrived in the country last week alone – a new seven-day record.