[ad_1]
A couple living in Norway recounts a confusing encounter with the practice of the crown in the Swedish border police.
Kjersti Fullu and her husband Joris Antoine were denied entry to Sweden when they returned home after the funeral. Instead, they were sent on police escort back to Denmark. Photo: Private
When his father-in-law was infected with COVID-19, Kjersti Fullu and her husband Joris Antoine wanted to travel to France to visit him. They did not succeed.
First they had to prove themselves. Entry rules had to be checked. Two days later, on February 7, the 84-year-old man died.
To get to the funeral, the best option was to drive through Europe. The couple found no possible direct flights and several flights to European cities were canceled.
In Svinesund, Sweden, they showed the father-in-law’s death certificate, let them pass, and wished them a safe journey. It was clear that the death of the father-in-law was reason enough to cross the border.
On Sunday they returned to the border with Sweden. Now for the Øresund connection between Copenhagen and Malmö. Here the understanding was not so great.
“Going to a funeral was a special reason, but coming home was certainly nothing special,” says Fullu.
One day and a police escort later, the couple was finally able to make their way to Norway.
Strict entry rules, but with exceptions
On January 25, Sweden introduced a temporary ban on entry from Norway. The ban also applies to several other countries.
However, there are certain exceptions. People with important family considerations are one of them. Fullu and Antoine thought that the death of their father-in-law was an important consideration.
According to the Swedish police website, a funeral is considered an important family consideration. The Svinesund border police also agreed.
But in Malmö they had a different opinion. Here, the police believed that the couple had no valid reason to enter Sweden. They had to find another way to Norway. It was half past one at night.
– The police took our passports and disappeared with them for 30 minutes. To get them back, we had to drive under police escort back to Denmark. There they suggested we could drive to Germany and take the boat from there, says Fullu.
She and Antoine ended up spending the night in the car in Denmark. A day later, they got a place on a boat from the town of Hirtshals to Larvik. The experience has impacted both of them.
– It broke for me when we met that way. I do not understand that it is possible to treat people like this after the death of a family member. It almost felt like a state of war, says Fullu.
The Øresund Bridge connects Sweden and Denmark. Across the bridge, Kjersti Fullu and her husband Joris Antoine were escorted back to Denmark by the Swedish police. Photo: Johan Nilsson / Scanpix
I can only interpret what is the cause
Ewa-Gun Westford in the South Police Region, responsible for the border crossings in Malmö, tells Aftenposten that he does not know the specific case, but responds in general about what the reason for the refusal of entry may be.
She believes this is because when the couple went to France via Svinesund, the death of the father-in-law was considered an important family consideration. When the couple returned to Norway, this was not the case.
– So they went home and no longer had a needy family cause. That’s how I reason it, says Westford.
It states that the Swedish border police make a specific decision in each individual case. The assessment by the Malmö police may seem strict, but the scheme can be changed on short notice and therefore you need to be careful, he says.
In addition to this, the Swedish police refer to the police websites, where the various entry rules are described.
The Malmö experience was an exception
The couple emphasize that in Denmark and the rest of the EU they were received with understanding and respect. The Malmö experience was an exception. Therefore, the inbound rules need to be specified more precisely, believes Antoine.
Border control at Charlottenberg in Sweden. The Swedish government has introduced an entry ban from Norway, which came into effect on January 25. Photo: Tommy Pedersen, TT Nyhetsbyrån / NTB
What is the status of entry rules in Europe?
Many countries have recently tightened entry rules to limit import infections. Newly mutated viruses and increasing infection rates create fear. It has provided strict testing regimes and quarantine rules in various places.
Nine Schengen countries are now on the list of countries that have introduced full or partial border controls. Among them is Norway.
On January 29, the government introduced the strictest entry rules since March 12 of last year.
– In practice, the border will be closed to all who do not live in Norway, was the clear message of Prime Minister Erna Solberg.
But there are also exceptions in Norway. Among them are foreigners attending the funeral of a close relative, or attending the birth of their own child. All exceptions can be found here.
France is among the countries that have introduced stricter border controls in recent weeks. Here on the Belgian border, in northern France. Photo: Michel Spingler, AP / NTB
