Police on lookout for unwanted foreigners
Police are stepping up the hunt for foreign nationals who do not have the right to be in Sweden.
In addition to routine drink driving checks, motorists stopped at police checkpoints will now be asked to produce their passports or identity cards.
Identification data will then be cross-checked with the Schengen Information Systems register of known criminals from countries outside the union.
"All police should see this as part of their everyday duties," police spokesman Kenneth Mandergren told Sydsvenskan.
Eight new countries are set to join the Schengen border union by next year at the latest. This means an end to border controls for travelers from the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Poland and the Baltic states,
Police fear that more freedom of movement may also entail more movement of criminals. With the higher number of open borders comes an increased risk of people smuggling and illegal immigration.
"Internal checks on foreign nationals need to be seriously strengthened," said Mandergren, who is leading the work of building up a central border control unit in Sweden.
The new Swedish unit will liaise with EU border control agency Frontex.
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In addition to routine drink driving checks, motorists stopped at police checkpoints will now be asked to produce their passports or identity cards.
Identification data will then be cross-checked with the Schengen Information Systems register of known criminals from countries outside the union.
"All police should see this as part of their everyday duties," police spokesman Kenneth Mandergren told Sydsvenskan.
Eight new countries are set to join the Schengen border union by next year at the latest. This means an end to border controls for travelers from the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Poland and the Baltic states,
Police fear that more freedom of movement may also entail more movement of criminals. With the higher number of open borders comes an increased risk of people smuggling and illegal immigration.
"Internal checks on foreign nationals need to be seriously strengthened," said Mandergren, who is leading the work of building up a central border control unit in Sweden.
The new Swedish unit will liaise with EU border control agency Frontex.
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