Lessons for Brexit from Norway’s hard border with Sweden

ORJE, Norway — While many border posts in Europe have vanished, Norway’s hard border with the European Union member Sweden is clearly visible, with cameras, license-plate recognition systems and barriers directing traffic to customs officers.

Technological solutions being tested in Norway to digitalize customs procedures for cargo have been seized on by some in Britain as a way to overcome border-related problems that threaten to scuttle a divorce deal with the EU.

But in the six months since an import trial began in the Norwegian border city of Orje, Customs section chief Hakon Krogh says some problems have brought the system to a standstill. Those include snow blocking the camera, Wi-Fi issues preventing the border barrier from lifting and truck drivers who don’t understand which lane to use.

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David Keyton And Jill Lawless, The Associated Press