The EU Commission asks Norway to phase out border control

Unclear When Border Control CeasesColour line. Larvik havn.Photo Norway Today Media

Border control

The EU Commission believes Norway must phase out the temporary border control on ferry carriers over the next six months.

 

Norway is one of a total of five countries in the Schengen area, which has introduced temporary border control in the wake of the refugee crisis. The other four are Denmark, Sweden, Germany and Austria.

The control has been extended several times, but now the EU Commission will end the scheme.

The Commission’s recommendations are that all five countries will put control over the next six months.

– This will be the last extension. I repeat: the last extension, says EU immigration commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos.

– What we propose is a gradual phasing out of border control, while strengthening regular policy control in countries, and especially in border areas, he said.

The Norwegian control applies to ferries arriving from Denmark, Sweden and Germany.

Denmark checks ferry arrivals from Germany, while Sweden has control of ports in the south and west and on the Øresund Bridge. Germany controls the border with Austria, while Austria controls land borders against Hungary and Slovenia.

Very few people are stopped in the Norwegian check, which is carried out on a random basis.

The Government will not decide whether it will be extended until next week. Today’s inspection runs until May 11th.

 

Source: NTB scanpix / Norway Today