COPENHAGEN - The Danish government on Wednesday extended its temporary border controls on the German-Danish border for 20 days as the country is struggling to contain the influx of refugees.

The border controls, introduced on January 4 shortly after neighboring Sweden put in place an ID checks upon passengers from Denmark, will be extended until February 3, according to a statement by the Ministry of Integration and Housing.

The Danish government said the provisional border controls were ushered in out of concerns of significant accumulation of illegal residents in the metropolitan area.

In a letter to the European Commission, Integration Minister IngerStoejberg said Denmark faces a serious risk to public order and internal security because a large number of illegal immigrants may be stranded in the Copenhagen area.

"Since Denmark's decision to temporarily reintroduce border controls, the number of immigrants crossing the EU's southern borders and continuing their journey further north is still very high," the minister said.

"We are doing what we believe is necessary to ensure public order and security in Denmark," Stoejberg was quoted by Danish newspaper The Copenhagen Post as saying.(Xinhua)