Tanzanian Association Oslo

”Passport please!”

for Svalbard

Norway's Justice Ministry surprised even its government colleagues when it suddenly demanded that all travelers to Svalbard will soon need to go through passport control. The move isn't popular, either in the far north or Oslo.

Travelers to Svalbard, including Norwegians, will soon need to present their passports, if the Justice Ministry has its way. PHOTO: STEIN J BJØRGE

Officials in both the Foreign Ministry and police in the northern city of Tromsø think it's unnecessary to demand passport checks on the Arctic archipelago.

"Our main point is the simple fact that Svalbard is part of the Kingdom of Norway," Karsten Klepsvik of the Foreign Ministry told Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK). "It's not desirable that people should have to show their passport when they travel within the country."

The local governor on Svalbard says he welcomes a passport control station on Svalbard, but the police chief in Tromsø claims setting one up will demand a lot of resources and that it's unnecessary.

Passport controls are mostly meant to reduce the risk of criminals or terrorists crossing borders. He claims there is little risk of such to and from Svalbard.

The Justice Ministry, meanwhile, maintains that as a special administrative area under Norwegian jurisdiction, Svalbard isn’t technically included in the so-called "Schengen area" that allows passport-free crossings of borders among member countries in Europe. Norway is part of Schengen.

Aftenposten English Web Desk/NTB