Danish police say they won't stop thousands of migrants heading to Sweden

A group of refugees and migrants who were walking north sit down on the highway in southern Denmark on Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2015. The migrants have crossed the border from Germany, and after staying at a local school, they say they are now making their way to Sweden, to seek asylum. (Ernst van Norde/Polfoto via AP) DENMARK OUT (The Associated Press)

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A Danish train conductor checks the ticket of 19-years-old Abdullah from Somalia who is on his way to his mother in Sweden in the train station in Flensburg, northern Germany, Thursday, Sept. 10, 2015. On Wednesday Danish railway company DSB said all train service had been halted between Germany and Denmark after Danish police stopped hundreds of migrants arriving by train across the border. (Christian Charisius/dpa via AP) (The Associated Press)

Migrants sleep in the train station of Flensburg, northern Germany, Thursday, Sept. 10, 2015. On Wednesday Danish railway company DSB said all train service has been halted between Germany and Denmark after Danish police stopped hundreds of migrants arriving by train across the border. (Christian Charisius/dpa via AP) (The Associated Press)

COPENHAGEN, Denmark – Denmark's police chief says his officers have been ordered not to stop hundreds of refugees and migrants who have entered the country via Germany.

Jens Henrik Hoejbjerg says it is purely a police decision, adding Danish officers "can't detain foreigners who do not want to seek asylum (in Denmark)."

In Thursday's statement, Hoejbjerg said the National Police took the decision late Wednesday. There was no immediate reaction from the Danish government.

Under EU rules, people seeking asylum should do so in the first EU country they enter and not travel from one country to another.

Many of the migrants say they want to go on to Sweden, Norway or Finland, because they have relatives there or believe that conditions for asylum-seekers are better.