Denmark is enforcing what it described as temporary controls on its German border, following its Scandinavian neighbors Sweden and Norway in stepping up measures to stem the influx of migrants from the war-ravaged Middle East, Bloomberg reported.
Prime Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen, who signaled in a New Year’s speech that his government was considering the move, said the controls took effect at noon local time. German Chancellor Angela Merkel was briefed before the measures were enforced, Rasmussen said. The controls will initially be imposed for a period of 10 days, he said.
Merkel responded by calling for a “joint European solution,” her spokesman Steffen Seibert told reporters in Berlin. “The solution won’t take place on national borders between country A and country B.”
Denmark’s clampdown marks the latest move putting passport-free travel across Europe at risk as the Schengen agreement designed to bring the union closer together shows signs of unraveling. Martin Schaefer, a spokesman for Germany’s Foreign Ministry, said the Schengen regime is “in danger,” after Rasmussen unveiled his country’s border controls on Monday.
But the Danes are passing on the blame and say Sweden’s decision to start official border checks forced the government in Copenhagen to resort to controls toward Germany. As of Monday, Sweden started inspecting the IDs of people crossing their border by road, rail or sea.
