14 held in Sweden for breach of asylum rules
Print Edition
SWEDISH police say they have detained 14 people accused of smuggling migrants from Denmark in defiance of Europe’s asylum rules.
Police spokesman Lars Forstell said yesterday that those detained were suspected of illegally transporting migrants across the Oresund bridge from Copenhagen to Malmo, Sweden.
It wasn’t immediately clear whether the suspects were part of organized smuggling networks or individuals who wanted to help refugees come to Sweden.
The bridge has become another flashpoint in the European Union’s attempts to keep its asylum rules intact as tens of thousands of people arrive on its borders seeking shelter from war, persecution and poverty. Under EU rules they are supposed to apply for asylum in the first EU country they enter, not travel from one country to the next.
Dozens of migrants and refugees arrived at Malmo’s central station yesterday by train, bus or car across the bridge from Copenhagen.
Anders Holsteng, a 35-year-old teacher from Denmark, said he had called in sick to drive a handful of Syrians to Malmo after giving them shelter overnight. “I believe it’s my duty to help people on the run,” he said.
Danish police have urged people who want to help to donate food or clothes but not to shelter people illegally or smuggle them across borders.
Still, many are making it across to Sweden, with or without help. The Swedish Migration Agency said about 700 people have applied for asylum in Malmo since last week.
Sweden is considered among the most welcoming countries toward asylum-seekers.
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