Stockholm: The Swedish government declared its intention to "intensify" border controls on Tuesday due to deteriorating security following a number of demonstrations involving the desecration of the Qur'an.

Following several demonstrations that included public desecration of the Qur'an, including setting pages on fire, tensions have risen between Sweden and Muslim nations.

Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson stated at a press conference that "people with very weak ties to Sweden should not be able to come to Sweden to commit crimes," adding that a formal decision to tighten border controls was anticipated on Thursday.

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Salwan Momika and Salwan Najem, two Iraqi men, set fire to the Muslim holy text on Monday during a demonstration in front of Sweden's parliament.

The two had previously organised comparable demonstrations outside of Stockholm's main mosque and the Iraqi embassy, sparking widespread outrage and condemnations.

Iraqi protesters were prompted by those demonstrations to storm the Swedish embassy in Baghdad twice, the second time setting fire to the compound. The military, several law enforcement agencies, and the tax office are among the 15 government entities that Sweden ordered last week to step up anti-terrorism efforts.

According to Justice Minister Gunnar Strommer, the increased border checks applied to what are known as "inner border controls," or border checks for visitors entering Sweden from other Schengen countries.

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"The inner border controls enable us to identify incoming travellers that can threaten our security," Strommer told the media.

In accordance with common EU law, Sweden reinstated internal border controls in May 2022, citing deteriorating security conditions. A new Swedish law that gives police more authority to conduct checks inside Swedish borders, including vehicle and body searches, went into effect on Tuesday, according to Strommer.

The goal, according to Strommer, is to "strengthen police work and prevent threats to domestic security." The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, which has its headquarters in Jeddah, expressed "disappointment" with Sweden and Denmark on Monday for doing nothing in response to the recent burnings.

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While highlighting the country's constitutionally protected freedoms of speech and assembly, the Swedish government denounced the desecrations. To explore potential changes, Kristersson reiterated on Tuesday that the government was reviewing Sweden's legal framework.

The head of government stated, "It would be about broadening the process for handling permits for public gatherings so that one can look at a wider security perspective. Denmark also declared over the weekend that it would look into legal options for putting a stop to protests that included the burning of sacred texts under certain conditions.