Both Sweden and Denmark separately announced the temporary extension of border identification checks on Thursday in a bid to deter the influx of further migrants and refugees.

"Europe has failed to keep its external borders. As long as there is no common European solution, Sweden is obliged to implement national measures in the short term," said Swedish Interior Minister Anders Ygeman in a statement explaining the extension of systematic checks until April 8.

Denmark's environment minister resigned on Saturday, ending a crisis of confidence that had threatened to topple Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen's minority center-right government.

"Today I have announced to the prime minister that I resign from the post as environment and food minister," Eva Kjer Hansen said in a statement, saying she did not want to "stand in the way" of the government.

A small Danish party threatened Wednesday to withdraw its support for the government and force new elections if Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen failed to sack a cabinet minister in a row over agricultural reforms.

The Conservative People's Party, which has just six seats in parliament but whose support is crucial to the minority center-right government, said it had lost confidence in Environment Minister Eva Kjer Hansen.

Denmark's immigration ministry said Tuesday it had extended random identification checks along its border with Germany until March 4 in a move aimed at discouraging the arrival of more migrants.

"A large number of refugees and migrants are still trying to reach Europe and many among them are heading to Denmark and other countries in northern Europe," the ministry said in a statement.

Denmark's controversial law allowing police to search asylum seekers and confiscate their valuables to help pay for their accommodation has raised no money in its first 11 days, police said on Tuesday.

The new rules, which allow for cash or items without "sentimental value" -- hence no wedding rings -- to be seized if they are worth more than 10,000 kroner (1,340 euros, $1,498), have brought in "nothing" since coming into force on February 5, a police spokesman told AFP.

Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen warned Sunday that Denmark still faces a "serious terror threat" as it marked a year since a gunman killed a filmmaker and a Jewish security guard in twin attacks in Copenhagen.

The Danish capital honored the victims under tight security, as Rasmussen left flowers outside the cultural center and the synagogue targeted on February 14, 2015 by Omar El-Hussein, a 22-year-old Dane of Palestinian origin.

A controversial Danish law allowing police to seize valuables from refugees came into force on Friday, with the government's guidelines to police exempting wedding and engagement rings from the searches.

Other items of sentimental value will be excluded if they are "associated with a particular personal story that means the object cannot be replaced by another one," the integration ministry said in the document.

Chinese dissident artist Ai Weiwei on Wednesday closed down his exhibition in the Danish capital after lawmakers passed a controversial bill allowing authorities to seize valuables from asylum seekers.

"Ai Weiwei has decided to close his exhibition 'Ruptures' at Faurschou Foundation Copenhagen, Denmark. This decision follows the Danish parliament's approval of the law proposal that allows seizing valuables and delaying family reunions for asylum seekers," a post on his official Instagram and Facebook accounts read.

Denmark's parliament on Tuesday adopted reforms aimed at dissuading migrants from seeking asylum by delaying family reunifications and allowing authorities to seize their valuables, under legislation that has sparked widespread condemnation.

The government insists the law is needed to stem the flow of refugees even though Denmark and Sweden recently tightened their borders, a move that prompted Germany and Austria to turn back new arrivals heading for Scandinavia.

Danish lawmakers on Thursday gave a final nod to drastic reforms curbing the rights of asylum seekers as legal and human rights experts castigated Copenhagen for turning its back on its international commitments.

The new law backed by the country's right-wing government would delay family reunifications, confiscate migrants' valuables and make already stringent permanent residency requirements even tougher.