Norway’s Strange New Respect for Borders

The Norwegians have developed a newfound enthusiasm for border control in advance of this year’s Nobel Peace Prize awards ceremony. We wouldn’t want any of those troublemaking Swedes crossing the border and disrupting the occasion, now, would we?

Our Norwegian correspondent The Observer has translated an article about the change in official policy, and includes this note:

The Norwegian authorities in their infinite wisdom have realized that it is probably a good idea to prevent ‘troublemakers’ from entering the country ahead of this year’s Nobel Peace prize ceremony, hence they have decided to reintroduce temporary border control. This they believe will produce the desired result.

I’m sure it will have a noticeable effect, but what about reintroducing border control on a permanent basis? That would also have a desirable effect. After all, the main reason why Norway has been swamped by illegal immigrants and foreign criminals in the last couple of decades is due to the very unwise decision to abolish national border control.

Well it’s just a thought. I can dream, can’t I?

The translated article from NRK:

Norway reinstates temporary border control

Norway will reintroduce national border control with Schengen between December 3 and December 12 in an effort to prevent any potential troublemakers from entering the country ahead of this year’s Nobel Peace Prize ceremony.

No one will be able to enter the country without a valid passport and those who intend to do so must be prepared to be stopped at the border, according to a press release issued by the Norwegian Police authorities.

Ensuring peace and order

The purpose of the temporary measure is to ensure public order and maintain internal security, which involves preventing potential violent activists from entering the country in connection with the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony.

Passengers must be prepared to be checked by immigration officers when entering or departing Norway.

Ellen Ahnfelt, Senior Adviser from the Norwegian Police Directorate, tells NRK.no that the decision was made after a general threat assessment. Border controls were also temporarily reintroduced when U.S. President Barack Obama received his Nobel Peace Prize in 2009.

Must show passports

What this means is that anybody traveling to Norway, by air, train, ferry, bus or car may be asked to show their passports, even in those cases when they are traveling between the Scandinavian countries. According to Ahnfelt, no extra police personnel will be brought in as a result of the temporary measure

A notification has been sent out to all the member states of the Schengen Agreement and it is the responsibility of the membership states to inform their citizens about the temporary imitative. According to Ahnfelt temporary border controls are fairly common, especially during major sporting events.