Denmark closes borders with Germany

All road and rail links between Denmark and Germany have been closed to prevent thousands of migrants entering as the rift in Europe deepens further, Express newspaper reported.

The migrants were heading north to Sweden, which has become a top destination for refugees after promising to issue residency papers to all Syrian asylum seekers.

Having already reached Germany, which has offered similar promises, the migrants decided they wanted to get to Sweden but were forced off trains.

It has led to the Danish government concluding those entering the country are economic migrants as well as refugees.

In dramatic scenes, about 300 migrants began making a deadly journey on the E45 motorway – the main road link between Germany and Denmark.

A police spokesman said: "We are trying to talk to them and tell them that it is a really bad idea to walk on the motorway."

Denmark's DSB rail operator said trains to and from Germany had been suspended until further notice because of exceptional passport checks.

Two trains carrying more than 200 people are being held in Rodby, a major port with ferry links to Germany.

Danish police said many migrants are refusing to leave the trains because they do not want to be registered in Denmark, where the new centre-right government has promised to get tough on immigration.

About 3,000 people have entered the country since the weekend - but refugees are reluctant to register in Denmark which has slashed benefits for new arrivals and restricted the right to residency.

Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke-Rasmussen said: "This clearly shows that what we are facing right now is not only a refugee problem, it is also a migration problem."

Denmark's decision to close its transport links with Germany comes after the European Commission announced its plan to distribute 120,000 additional asylum seekers between European Union (EU) members.

Britain, Ireland and Denmark are not legally bound to take part.

But Denmark is part of the EU's Schengen zone, where borders are meant to be open to allow free movement

Source: MENA