MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The Danish government introduced on Monday temporary border controls at the country's border with Germany, fearing further refugee arrivals, Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said.
"The new Swedish requirement for ID checks poses a serious risk of a large number of illegal arrivals in a short time, for instance, in and around Copenhagen, [which is] a danger to public order and safety. In this regard, we see ourselves forced to introduce temporary controls at the border with Germany," Rasmussen said at a press conference, as quoted by the TV2 broadcaster.
Border controls are due to last for 10 days but are a subject to possible extension.
Sweden imposed identity checks on people arriving in the country from the Danish territory earlier in the day in order to reduce the influx of refugees. The ID checks were introduced on trains, buses and passenger ferries heading to Sweden to control the flows of people arriving in the country.
Europe is currently struggling to cope with a massive refugee crisis, with hundreds of thousands of people fleeing conflict-torn countries in the Middle East and North Africa in search of safety and refuge in the stable and wealthy EU states.
