Sweden reintroduces border controls with reference to “a serious threat”
STOCKHOLM (AP) – Sweden said on Friday that it would reintroduce temporary border controls at ferry terminals, airports, road junctions with other countries and other entrances to the Scandinavian nation because “there is still a serious threat to public order and internal security.”
The Swedish government said that the temporary checks would begin immediately and last until November 11, which means that travelers must show passports and visas during the six-month period.
The government did not mention a specific threat in its announcement but said that the security situation in the country’s region in Europe is “extremely serious, and the overall terrorist threat level in Sweden is still high.”
The Swedish Minister of Justice Morgan Johansson noted that once inside Europe’s passport-free travel area, known as the Schengen area, people can move relatively freely between 26 countries – 22 EU countries plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.
Normally, people and goods move freely between these countries without border controls. Temporary inspections are allowed for security or health reasons, and several other Schengen countries, including Germany, Austria, Norway and Denmark, have them in place, Johansson said.
Reintroducing border controls “creates the conditions for identifying and controlling those who want to enter the country,” the minister said. “It can also help identify potential perpetrators and thus prevent possible terrorist attacks.”
At least seven countries in the Schengen area currently have certain border restrictions in place, mostly for security reasons or to prevent the spread of covid-19. Some countries – especially Austria, France and Denmark – renew them routinely and have done so for several years.
The Supreme Court of the European Union issued a ruling last month that could force countries to regularly justify why they carry out ID checks on people who should be able to move without them in the Schengen area.
The European Court of Justice has ruled that countries must justify why they roll over border measures and that they should only do so “in the event of a serious new threat.” According to the Schengen acquis, border controls “may not exceed a maximum total duration of six months.”