Norway extends border controls for internal security

The Norwegian government said on Tuesday it would extend its border controls for an additional 30 days in order to ensure its "internal security."

Border controls for all ferry arrivals from Denmark, Sweden and Germany have been extended until April 13, the government said in a statement.

"The control measure has a good preventive effect and there is no report that the control has led to considerable inconvenience for ordinary travelers," Norway's Minister of Justice and Public Security Anders Anundsen was quoted as saying.

After Norway introduced controls on ferry arrivals in November 2015, the number of asylum seekers dropped significantly, the statement said.

However, because there is still large pressure on the Schengen zone's external borders and many unregistered foreigners in the Schengen area may wish to move on to another country, Norway still needs to have control on its sea border, it said.

Norway introduced temporary border checks on Nov. 26 after neighboring Sweden announced it would implement measures to reduce the influx of refugees, including border controls and stricter residence and family reunification measures.

The border checks were originally to last 10 days but were extended several times since then. Endit