Denmark will reinstate customs controls at its borders with the Schengen area states, namely Germany and Sweden, announced today the Danish Minister of Finance, Claus Hjort Frederiksen, after a political agreement between the government and the extreme right have been signed, informs AFP.
“We’ve reached an agreement for reintroducing border controls at the frontiers of Denmark as soon as possible”, Minister Claus Hjort Frederiksen said.
Denmark’s decision, which will take effect in two or three weeks, will particularly result in introducing controls at the border with Germany, but also in ports and Oeresund bridge that connects Sweden to Denmark.
The idea of reinstating border controls within the European Union, supported by France and Italy, was initiated by the extreme right party Danish People’s Party (PPD) and its leader, Pia Kjaersgaard, in order to fight against illegal immigration and organized crime.
Discussions in Brussels
The decision comes at a time when the European Commission will propose in Brussels, to the ministers of interior, to temporarily reinstate controls at national borders within the Schengen area, especially where a state is considered “deficient” in the surveillance of its borders or in the case of arrival of a large number of immigrants.