Sweden considers plan to close ‘The Bridge’ to Denmark

The Bridge may be no more. Sweden's centre-left government has submitted a proposal that would allow it to close the Oresund Bridge between Sweden and Denmark.

The link between Malmo in Sweden and the Danish capital Copenhagen is not just one of the most visible symbols of European integration but has also served as the backdrop to the television series The Bridge starring the detective Saga Noren.

The move to ask for permission to close it in an emergency underscores the dramatic reversal in the Swedish government’s immigration and security policies. Only a few weeks ago, the country hailed itself as the EU country that had accepted the most asylum seekers per capita in recent years.

But as those numbers swelled to close to 200,000 this year, double the previous annual record, local authorities across Sweden have complained of overstretched public services and an acute lack of housing.

That forced the Social Democrat-led government to launch a crackdown on asylum seekers, restricting their right to residency and family reunification.

The 8km crossing, which opened in 2000, is the longest combined road and rail bridge in Europe. It has been credited with boosting the economies of both Copenhagen and southern Sweden by cutting journey times significantly. Last year, seven million vehicles and almost 12 million train passengers used the bridge.

But it has come under criticism from some, particularly the anti-immigration Danish People’s party (DPP), for its role in immigration routes under the Schengen passport-free area.

Pia Kjaersgaard, founder and former leader of the DPP, once said: "If they want to turn Stockholm, Gothenburg or Malmo into a Scandinavian Beirut, with clan wars, honour killings and gang rapes, let them do it. We can always put a barrier on the Oresund Bridge."

Sweden recently announced plans to introduce border controls, including ID checks, on the bridge as part of its package of measures to stem the flow of asylum seekers. There are early signs of a reduction, with 6,134 asylum-seekers arriving last week, down from the peak of 10,553 two weeks ago.

Anna Johansson, Sweden’s infrastructure minister, said there were currently no plans to close the bridge. “It is not something we plan for, it would be a dramatic step. We hope this proposal will not have to be used,” she said in a statement.

Dagens Industri, the Swedish newspaper, quoted the legislative proposal as saying: “A temporary closure of the [Oresund] bridge can provide an additional measure to reduce the risk to public order or internal security from a large influx of asylum-seekers.”

Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2015