`Love Bridge’ Fuels Anti-Immigrant Backlash on Swedish Border

Every day, about 1,000 Danes leave their foreign-born spouses in Sweden and cross the “Love Bridge” to jobs in Denmark, where immigration laws prevent their husbands and wives from settling.

The Oresund Bridge linking the two nations has become a flashpoint in the debate over Sweden’s open border. The Sweden Democrats tripled their support in two cities near the span in September elections after demanding tighter immigration laws.

“When I look over the bridge, it’s like looking over the Berlin Wall,” says Mattias Karlsson, a party spokesman. “Denmark has much more rigid laws on foreigners, and that’s steering a lot of asylum seekers and foreigners toward Sweden.”

European Union politicians are struggling to assimilate overseas-born residents while toughening entry requirements for outsiders. That may leave Sweden as one of the few EU nations to welcome Romanian and Bulgarian workers when the trade bloc expands to 27 members in January.

The Paris suburbs were rocked last year by rioting among Muslim youths that resulted in about 3,000 arrests. Italian and Spanish authorities are trying to stem the tide of Africans who arrive in makeshift boats. The U.K. government is debating ways to reduce the isolation of its own Muslim community after alleged terror plots that police say were planned by British citizens.

Closing the Door

Sweden, Ireland and the U.K. were the only western European nations that didn’t put restrictions on workers from the 10 countries that joined the EU in 2004.

Britain and Ireland said Oct. 24 they would reverse open- door labor policies and limit migration from Bulgaria and Romania. In both countries, jobseekers will be required to obtain work permits before going to work.

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Bloomberg.com