For months Emmanuel Macron has been pushing for an overhaul of EU migrant policy, calling for tighter measures and a need to strengthen EU borders. The French President has already began imposing tighter migration plans in his home country and is set to introduce quotas for migrant workers by next summer. Now, after a meeting with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, Mr Macron has received support from another EU leader.
The pair met in Paris on Monday and discussed Europe’s approach to immigration.
In a joint statement the two pushed for a “reinforced protection” of European external borders.
They also called for more unified EU rules on granting asylum to better handle uncontrolled immigration.
Mr Frederiksen described the current asylum system as “inhumane” and agreed with Mr Macron that a new plan was needed.
She told Danish broadcaster TV2: “What we agree on is that the current system both for migration, as in people coming into Europe, and the asylum system, don’t work.
“We also agree that we together need to come up with a new system.
“Where this will precisely land, I don’t dare say anything about.
“But, for example, to strengthen Europe’s borders, that we completely agree on. There’s a real need for that.”
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Earlier this month, Mr Macron pledged to “take back control” of immigration policy by introducing quotas for foreign workers and cracking down on illegal migrations.
Edouard Philippe, Mr Macron’s prime minister, said: “We’ve decided to go far in opening up where we think it’s good for France, and go far in restrictions where the abuses are intolerable.
“We want to take back control of our migration policy.
“Retaking control means when we say yes it really means yes, and when we say no it really means no.”
The French government also pledged to move the encampments of 1,500 to 3,000 migrants on the norther fringes of Paris by the end of the year.
Mr Macron is hoping to capitalise on rightwing sentiment, which has seen Marine Le Pen’s Rassemblement National party build a strong base of support among white French voters, due to its anti-immigration platform.
They have long complained about what they see as excessive immigration, especially by Muslims from north Africa.