Denmark Extends Border Control Until May 2018

The Danish government has extended control of the southern border with Germany until May 12th next year, citing migration as a key concern, The Local writes. 

Temporary controls were implemented on the border in January 2016 and have remained in place since.

Although extensions to the measure have been granted several times, the border control had been scheduled to expire in November this year.

But the government has now confirmed a further extension that will take the controls well into a third year.

The government cited "the migrant situation and serious terror threat against Denmark" as grounds for the new extension, reports broadcaster DR.

Immigration minister Inger Støjberg wrote in a press statement that, despite the drop in numbers of asylum seekers arriving in Europe in comparison with a peak in late 2015, the borders of Europe's countries were still under pressure.

"We cannot close our eyes to the serious terror threat against Denmark. The government therefore finds it necessary to maintain border control for now," she said according to DR.

Border controls at the land border with Germany currently work on a spot-check basis, with motorists stopped at random to show passports.

Police alone were responsible for carrying out the border checks until July this year, when the Home Guard (Hjemmeværnet) was brought in to assist.

Germany's interior minister Thomas de Maizière announced on Thursday that Berlin would also be extending border controls for a further six months, meaning checks will stay in place in the Alpine Germany-Austria border region.

De Maizière said that a series of terror attacks in Germany and Europe were the cause of the extension.