Sweden’s prime minister is considering tightening border controls over security concerns after recent Quran-burning controversies.
“As everyone knows, we have a complicated security situation both in and around Sweden,” Prime Minster Ulf Kristersson said during a press conference Tuesday. “We are in daily contact with the Swedish intelligence services at the moment. That’s how serious we think the situation is.”
A final decision on border control will be made Thursday, Swedish broadcaster SVT reported.
“People with very weak links to Sweden should not be able to come to Sweden to commit crimes,” Kristersson added during that press conference.
In recent weeks, Sweden and Denmark have witnessed several Quran burnings often led by far-right protesters, which were condemned by the EU. Denmark has “received considerable negative attention” from militant Islamists in response, the Danish Intelligence Service reported Monday.
The incidents have caused backlash in Muslim-majority countries and last month protestors stormed the Swedish embassy in Baghdad in light of a planned Quran burning in Sweden.
A previously adopted legislation did enter into force Tuesday, Swedish Justice Minister Gunnar Strömmer said. It allows police to search vehicles, conduct body searches, ask for IDs and use camera surveillance inside Sweden.
The Swedish government is also continuing to review the Public Order Act, which regulates the permits given by police to Quran burners.
According to Strömmer, it is unlikely that the law on hate speech will be changed, as this would demand restrictions on freedom of expression and constitutional amendments. Sweden is currently walking a tightrope between freedom of expression and security. “We are drawn into conflicts in our countries where individuals have a legal right to speak,” Kristersson said.
Kristersson also condemned the recent anti-Islam statements and warned that people were using Sweden as a stage to spread hateful messages. “Not all that is legal to say is appropriate to say,” he said.
