Norway to increase police presence near internal borders

Norway has decided to increase police presence in areas close to internal borders as more refugees applied for asylum in the country over the past days, the Ministry of Justice and Public Security said Wednesday.

There has been a significant increase in the number of refugees applying for political asylum in Norway over the past days and Norwegian authorities find it necessary to get information concerning the identity and background of the applicants as early as possible, the ministry said in a statement.

There is an overall aim to prevent cross border crime and illegal migration to the Norwegian territory in this situation and the ministry has therefore ordered the National Police Directorate to step up and intensify police presence in areas close to internal borders, it said.

The police's task is to control individuals after border crossing for immediate information on identity and intentions for entering Norwegian territory, the ministry said, adding that this will help public security and make the process of registration of asylum seekers more effective.

The National Police Directorate has been instructed to plan and set into force a more detailed police activity. Endit