Sweden has announced the introduction of temporary border checks to control the flow of migrants into the country.
It said it took the step because a surge in new arrivals had resulted in a threat to public order.
The controls will come into effect from midday local time on Thursday and will last initially for 10 days.
At a summit in Malta, EU leaders are expected to offer their African counterparts extensive aid in exchange for help with the migrant crisis.
In return for establishing a €1.8bn (£1.3bn) Emergency Trust Fund for Africa, Europe wants African nations to stem the flow of migrants and accelerate the repatriation of those who do not qualify for asylum.
Some 150,000 people from African countries such as Eritrea, Nigeria and Somalia have crossed the Mediterranean from Africa this year, but this has been dwarfed by the arrival of some 650,000 people – mostly Syrians – via Turkey and Greece.
Tensions in the EU have been rising because of the pressures faced by those countries where most migrants initially arrive, particularly Greece, Italy and Hungary. Many then head to Germany or Sweden – the two nations regarded as the most welcoming to refugees – to claim asylum.
Nearly 200,000 migrants are expected to arrive in Sweden this year, more per head of population than any other EU nation.
“This is not an issue for one or two or three countries – this is an issue for the whole European Union,” Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven said at the Malta talks. “We need another system – that is obvious.”
More on the migrant crisis
Katya Adler – How Sweden’s far-right has gained from the crisis
Crisis in graphics – Migrant countries of origin, routes and destinations
Impact of arrivals – How one German city is coping
Source:https://www.bbc.com
