The Swedish government has sent to the Commission and the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the European Union demanding tighter controls in the EU Schengen area, Schengenvisa News reports.
Sweden also called for an end to any kind of funding for terrorism-related activities and increased information sharing between the intelligence and police services of the 27 EU member states.
Stockholm asked for an improved repatriation mechanism under the new Migration and Asylum Pact, using the so-called Article 25, which blocks entry documentation to the EU of third countries that do not co-operate on repatriation. The Swedish authorities have taken a number of measures as part of the fight against irregular migration.
The Swedish government recently announced that it plans to cut benefits for non-EU immigrants to discourage them from travelling to the country. Sweden will also introduce reforms requiring non-EU immigrants to learn Swedish and compete for jobs in the country’s highly skilled labour market.
The war between Israel and Hamas and attempts to cross the border illegally are the main reasons that have prompted a number of European countries to introduce additional border controls, with Italy, Croatia and Slovenia being the latest to introduce such measures.
The Czech Republic, Denmark, Slovakia, Hungary, Poland and Austria will also conduct border checks as part of an effort to better protect their countries and prevent people from entering their territory illegally. Italy will extend border controls with Slovenia for another 20 days, according to Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi.
This measure has been extended from 31 October for another 20 days in agreement with the governments of Slovenia and Croatia. Its duration will depend on how international developments unfold.
Data from the EU Border and Coastguard Agency (Frontex) showed that a total of 279,350 people tried to cross the EU’s external borders illegally in the first nine months of this year, the biggest increase since 2016.
Frontex data noted that half of the detected illegal border crossing attempts were along the Central Mediterranean route, while the most active migration route in September this year was the Western Balkans.
