STOCKHOLM, Sweden, Jan. 4 (UPI) — Sweden introduced identity checks on Monday for travelers arriving from Denmark in an attempt to limit the flow of migrants into the country.
The border controls will be imposed on the Öresund Bridge, which connects Sweden and Denmark. All people traveling via train or bus through the bridge or by using ferry services will be denied entry without proper documentation, BBC News reports.
About 20,000 people commute through the Öresund Bridge daily. Train commuters heading to Sweden will also have to change rails at the Copenhagen Airport and go through identity checkpoints. The new identity checks are expected to create significant delays.
Swedish Infrastructure Minister Anna Johansson said the new rules would be changed if there was a dramatic fall in the number of asylum seekers. The border control introduction reverses Sweden’s open border policy that had been in place since the 1950s.
More than 1 million migrants entered Europe in 2015, creating a humanitarian crisis as some countries struggled to cope with the large number of asylum-seekers.
Late last year, Sweden introduced a new law that would fine transport companies nearly $6,000 if travelers to Sweden do not have a valid photo ID.
Danish Transport Minister Hans Christian Schmidt said the introduction of border checks was sad and “extremely annoying,” suggesting the Swedish government should pay for the checks — estimated to cost about $145,000 daily.
Sweden, with a population of 9.8 million, received more than 150,000 asylum applications in 2015, a higher number per capita than any other country in the European Union.
Comment count on this article reflects comments made on Breitbart.com and Facebook. Visit Breitbart's Facebook Page.