Sweden: ID checks on Öresund Bridge to Denmark suspended

Event

On Tuesday, May 2, the Swedish Interior Ministry announced that systematic identity checks for travelers crossing the Öresund Bridge between Malmö (Sweden) and Copenhagen (Denmark) would be discontinued beginning on Thursday, May 4.  Around 20,000 commuters cross the bridge of every day, with many expressing annoyance with the checks.

However, mandatory border controls along the exterior of the Schengen zone (which encompasses both Sweden and Denmark), established by the European Parliament in early April 2017, remain in place.

Context

Since 2015, various countries - including Austria, Denmark, Germany, Norway, and Sweden - have reinstated controls at their internal EU borders in response to a major influx of migrants. The current Schengen Borders Code allows the implementation of temporary border controls for member states in case of serious threat to public policy or internal security.

The Swedish government stated that while 169,000 asylum seekers entered Sweden in 2015, only 29,000 entered last year, allowing checks on trains, ferries, and buses to also be removed. However, Interior Minister Anders Ygeman has stated that there will be an increase in surveillance cameras placed on the bridge, along with the deployment of vehicle x-rays.

Advice

Travelers are advised to take this information into account and to verify entry requirements prior to crossing international borders.