STOCKHOLM, Sweden – National police are preparing to seal Sweden’s borders for the first time in over ten years, but it is unclear if the order will ever be given for them to deploy.
Commanding officer of the Swedish force Stefan Hector made the revelation that officers across the country and particular in the south were preparing to close the borders for the first time since 2001. Plans and practice on how to close the borders are now over a decade old, and forces are now revising the drill so should they be called to, Sweden could cut itself off from Europe at a moments notice, reports Sydsvenskan.
In addition to over 300 police officers needed to man bridges and water crossings into the country from mainland Europe, Security Police, the Immigration Service and the Coast Guard would also get involved should the plans be put into action.
Although the news may generate some favourable headlines for the left-wing government which is struggling with an electorate growing increasingly uncomfortable with unlimited mass migration, it may ultimately go no further than just headlines. A Sweden Democrats source – the only anti-migration opposition voice in the Swedish parliament, told Breitbart London the announcement was nothing more than posturing and would be quickly forgotten within the corridors of power.
That view seems to be borne out by the comments of Swedish justice and migration minister Morgan Johansson who, attending emergency meetings at the European Union yesterday, told press he was confident the police could handle the influx with their present deployment. He said it was a situation he couldn’t foresee changing.
His remarks are against all available evidence to the contrary, however.
As the migrant crisis has intensified, significantly larger nations have already thrown in the towel and reintroduced border checks, including Germany, whose population is almost ten times larger.
Hungary, the Czech Republic, Austria, Slovakia, and the Netherlands have all already announced their intention to, or have already started, checking passports.
The number of people entering Sweden from the south, has only grown since the country become a more attractive prospect to economic migrants posing as refugees since former soft-touch Denmark dramatically slashed benefits for migrants. Sweden’s state railway has even gone as far as laying on extra trains between main point of entry Malmo and the capital Stockholm, as the number of migrants moving into the country overwhelmed regular services.
Perhaps aggravating demand is the decision last week by the state railway board to offer their services for free to all migrants – but to continue to charge natives for train journeys.
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