Swedish 'Refugee' Border Control Law Stirs Up Locals' Discontent

The new temporary law on identity checks in Sweden due to take effect on January 4, 2016, provoked increasing discontent, local media reported.

STOCKHOLM (Sputnik) — On December 17, the Swedish parliament approved the law on mandatory control of documents on buses, ferries and trains on the Swedish borders with the countries of the Schengen Agreement. The law is due to take effect until December 21, 2018.

The law is expected to negatively affect inhabitants of Sweden and Denmark, who daily use the Oresund Bridge between the two countries to travel to work.

According to the News Oresund website, three recently created Facebook groups of those who disagree with document checks have gathered over 19,000 subscribers.

Police carried out the first identity checks on train passengers crossing into Sweden from Denmark in mid-November.

Sweden has accepted over 160,000 refugees since the beginning of 2015 but the number of migrants arriving in the country fleeing violence and poverty in the Middle East and North Africa is likely to reach 190,000 by the end of the year, according to the country’s migration service.