SJ cancels all trains to denmark after new law was passed.

[Bobjork]

The Swedish government passed a new law that will enter into force the 4th of January 2016.
All operators of trains, buses and ferries (20 nautical miles or less) over the Swedish border must check the ID:s of ALL passengers. Failing to perform this check can result in a fine for the operator.
SJ AB, the biggest operator, have chosen to cancel all trains over the danish border and from the 4th january all SJ trains will terminate in Malmö.
This is because checking all the passengers before the train arrives in Sweden is impossible and checking before departure from Copenhagen and Kastrup (Airport) will delay trains, and will also cost a lot of money.
Passengers to Copenhagen have to use Öresundståg instead, but there will be fewer departures over the border for these trains as well.
The law do not apply to trains, buses and ferries coming from Norway.

The danish prime minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen are critical to the decision and says it might hamper development and the prosperity of the Öresund region and cause job losses.
Many people today live in Malmö and works in Denmark (or vice versa) and this have been possible not only because of EU but also because of the Nordic Passport Union from 1954. The opening of the Öresund bridge made Copenhagen and Malmö to a region, and Skånetrafiken tickets over the bridge could be used for travel in the whole region. From 4th January, people working in Denmark will have to get used to showing their ID when going to and from work, and that their journey will be longer.

http://www.dw.com/en/more-sweden-den...cks/a-18935258
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-eu...0U41OI20151221
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-35159183

[Beeyar Wunby]

Hi Bobjork.

Thanks for an interesting post.

Nice to see your country's politicians have the b***s to introduce policies to limit the migrant tide, even though it does temporarily inconvenience Sweedish voters. Perhaps your citizens are unselfish enough to realise it is for the "greater good"?

Shame it could never happen here.

BW

[Bobjork]

Originally Posted by Beeyar Wunby

Hi Bobjork.

Thanks for an interesting post.

Nice to see your country's politicians have the b***s to introduce policies to limit the migrant tide, even though it does temporarily inconvenience Sweedish voters. Perhaps your citizens are unselfish enough to realise it is for the "greater good"?

Shame it could never happen here.

BW

Well, it depends on who you ask.
For me personally I think this is the wrong way. The only reason they decided this was because other countries in the EU just let people pass through and that had led to that Germany and Sweden, as they were following the EU laws, had to take care of almost all refugees. But they decided they could not take care of all and that they do not even know how many that have entered sweden or just passed through to Finland. It would have been better if all countries in Europe took responsibility for refugees.
Denmarks negative reactions is because they usually have let people through to seek asylum i Sweden, but now as Sweden will stop them in denmark that means that denmark have to take care of them. And I think that is also the reason for Sweden to pass this law. To force other countries to help as well. (Denmark have had 25.000 so far this year, Sweden have 100.000 the last couple of months)

Another problem with the law is that the government give the responsibility (and cost) for border control (even if they don't call it that) to bus- and train companies, instead of doing it themselves. And thats why the train companies choose not to go over the border.

I also think the new law will make people seek other ways to enter Sweden (like, via Norway) or hitch-hiking over the Öresund bridge. As soon as they are IN sweden they can seek asylum. (And refugees with an ID can also still enter Sweden).
I also think that all parties, except the ones that acually voted like their voters, that is, C, V and SD, will have a crisis among their voters who feel betrayed.

[Beeyar Wunby]

Thanks for the insight. Things are rarely as simple as they seem.

Originally Posted by Bobjork

Another problem with the law is that the government give the responsibility (and cost) for border control (even if they don't call it that) to bus- and train companies, instead of doing it themselves. And thats why the train companies choose not to go over the border.

Nothing unique there. I fully understand why the companies have cancelled services.

Best wishes, BW

[richard thompson]

It will be interesting to see how this develops. Is the issue more who will have to bear the cost of this than anything else?
Richard.