Sweden enforces temporary border control to curb refugee influx
Sweden has reinstated temporary border checks in a bid to deal with a record influx of refugees.
Swedish officials said on Thursday that a surge in new arrivals is threatening public order in the Nordic country.
The officials insisted, however, that renewing the border checks was just meant for more control on the refugees.
“This is not a fence. We need to make sure that we have control ... We have to make sure we know who is coming to Sweden,” Prime Minister Stefan Lofven said.
The head of the Swedish Migration Agency, Anders Danielsson, said the measure in not meant to deter people from seeking asylum in Sweden.
“On the contrary. They will have their case heard, but we need to (regain) control,” he added.
The decision is viewed by some as a major backtrack from previous statements by Sweden promoting open-door policies in the face of a new wave of refugees coming to Europe from Middle East and Africa.
Sweden has resettled more refugees in proportion to its population, 9.8 million, than any other country in Europe, with officials in the government branding the Scandinavian state a “humanitarian superpower.”
The country expects a flood of 190,000 asylum seekers this year, more than double it took last year.
The spokesman for Sweden's Migration Agency, Mikael Hvinlund, said the decision to reinstate border checks is aimed at improving services provided to the refugees.
“We are not fulfilling our mission, which is to offer a roof to everyone... Re-establishing border controls can help us,” he said.
Police officials said they were preparing to keep controls in place for six months, a period acceptable under European Union’s free travel Schengen regulations. But the government said the measure is temporary and will be in effect for 10 days.
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