An end to controls on Schengen borders?
The EU Commission has demanded that Germany, Austria, Denmark, Sweden and Norway end the border controls that were introduced during the refugee crisis in 2015. The Schengen states are to phase out the measures by the end of November. Stockholm now wants to stop passport controls on trains and on Danish soil while stepping up random checks. Swedish media take different views of the decision.
Too soon to give the all-clear
The Swedish government is wrong to discontinue identity checks in Denmark, Expressen believes:
“There's no doubt that the border controls have caused huge difficulties for commuters in the Öresund Region. ... But the government has given up the identity checks too hastily. It's difficult to understand the logic behind the decision. Of course tighter border controls are just as desirable, but they can't replace passport controls on the Danish side. In these uncertain times the government should act according to the principle of caution. It's too early to abandon the crisis mode.”
Sweden must obey Schengen principles
Dagens Nyheter, by contrast, is alarmed that Stockholm wants to step up random checks:
“Others in the EU should show that they can protect the external borders, the interior minister said. But who did he mean? The Turkish President Erdoğan and the Greek government have closed the route across the Mediterranean. That hasn't stopped many people from attempting the dangerous journey from Libya to Italy instead. It will hardly be possible to stop all of them. Random border controls must remain random. The government seems to want a stopgap measure to become permanent. But does Sweden want to continue to belong to the Schengen Area, the major achievement of the EU? If so it should listen to the signals coming from the EU Commission and get ready for the end of controls.”