Sweden, Denmark Tighten Boarder Control Checks to slow down the Arrival of Refugees

Sweden and Denmark have tightened their boarder control checks in an attempt to slow down the arrival of refugees, who are seeking asylum in the respective nations.

In Sweden, travelers coming from Denmark and Germany will now have to show their driver's license or passport before they are allowed to enter. If travelers do not have any forms of ID with a picture on it, they will be turned away. Prior to the updated regulations, travelers were able to enter Sweden via train, car and ferry from the Danish border without having their IDs checked.

The new policy, which is temporary but valid for up to three years, has already caused a lot of delays on Monday since a lot of Swedes commute to Denmark for work.

According to the Swedish government, the number of refugees who are coming into the country is becoming "a serious threat to public order and domestic security." The government said that in 2015, it received more than 160,000 applications for asylum and added that during peak flow, about 10,000 refugees were coming in every day.

In response to Sweden's tighter border control regulations, Denmark has decided to make it harder for people to enter the country from Germany. The Danish Prime Minister, Lars Løkke Rasmussen, announced on Monday that it would be randomly checking IDs at the German border over the next 10 days, with the possibility of extending the ID checks for another 20 days.

"It is clear to all of us in Europe that we need an overall European solution," Rasmussen said reported by the New York Times. "The solution won't be found at national borders between country A and country B."

Denmark previously cut benefits in half for new arrivals. It also put in place very tough language requirements for those who plan on applying for permanent residency.

Out of all the countries in the European Union, Sweden and Germany have taken in the majority of the refugees. Both countries have asked for a wider distribution due to the fact that the amount of refugees coming to live there is taking a toll.

Sweden and Denmark are the latest countries to tighten up their border. Other European nations that have enforced similar ID checks include France, Germany and Austria.