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Sweden to fine travel companies for passengers without ID: gov't

Xinhua, December 19, 2015 Adjust font size:

Swedish police will soon be able to fine travel companies for every adult passenger who enters the country from Denmark without identification documents, the Swedish government decided on Friday.

Police will issue fines of 50,000 SEK (5,800 U.S. dollars) for every adult traveller who has boarded a train, bus or ferry without a photo ID, the daily newspaper Dagens Nyheter reported.

It will be up to the police to determine how travel operators should carry out their ID checks, Infrastructure Minister Anna Johansson said at a press conference.

Friday's government decision follows a parliamentary vote on Thursday and will be valid for six months until it goes up for renewal.

"Should we see that the number of people who enter via Denmark decreases dramatically, the government would be able to revoke the ordinance," Johansson said, adding that travel companies will not be held responsible for the validity of the documents.

Sweden has admitted a record number of asylum seekers in 2015, according to figures from its Migration Agency.

The government in November began to introduce new rules to stem the influx of migrants, including temporary residence permits and more frequent internal ID checks. (1 U.S. dollar = 8.6 SEK) Endit