Norway is considering building a fence along its nearly 200-kilometer border with Russia to prevent more migrant crossings.
Justice Minister Emilie Enger Mehl explained in an interview with NRK that the country is looking at "several measures" to improve border security, and a fence is one of them.
"A border fence is very interesting, not only because it can act as a deterrent but also because it contains sensors and technology that allow you to detect if people are moving close to the border" Mehl said.
Although no exact plan has been shared yet, and it’s unclear if the whole border would be fenced, the idea is being taken seriously.
This discussion follows Finland's recent construction of a border fence aimed at curbing migrant crossings after it accused Russia of encouraging asylum seekers from countries such as Syria and Somalia to enter.
Finland, which shares a 1,300 km border with Russia, closed its land borders late last year after more than 1,300 asylum seekers crossed into the country.
In 2015, about 5,000 asylum seekers arrived at the Storskog border crossing in northeastern Norway, the only legal land border with Russia.
Since then, Norway has been paying closer attention to border security.
Earlier this year, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said Norway might close its land border with Russia, similar to what Finland has done. Norway hasn't taken that step yet, but the idea of a fence is now part of the discussion.
