STOCKHOLM (Sputnik) — The Danish government decided to extend the temporary border controls introduced due to the influx of refugees into the country for additional three months, until February 12, 2017, the press service of Denmark's Ministry of Immigration, Integration and Housing said Friday.
"I still see a serious risk that refugees and migrants may remain in the country without necessary documents, if they are unable to go further to Sweden. That is why the border control is still necessary," Immigration Minister Inger Stojberg said as quoted by the press service.
Earlier in the day, Sweden's government decided to prolong the temporary controls on the borders for another three months.
In 2015, Denmark received more than 21,000 asylum seekers. Following a series of measures to toughen Denmark’s approach to immigration, the number of refugees attempting to enter the country has declined, with 5,305 registered in the first seven months of 2016, according to the data of the Ministry of Immigration, Integration and Housing.
Europe has had to deal with hundreds of thousands of undocumented migrants from the Middle East and North Africa fleeing their home countries to escape violence and poverty. Many migrants have arrived by sea to the shores of maritime states and try to move further to wealthier European countries, such as Germany, Sweden and Denmark.
