Every country should give refugees the right to work from the moment they reach the European Union, Jean Claude Juncker said today.

In an extraordinary demand to rewrite national laws, the European Commission President said asylum seekers should be able to get a job while their application is still be assessed.

He used his first State of the Union address to set out an ambitious Brussels power grab, demanding an EU-wide migration policy, 'compulsory' relocation of thousands of 160,000 refugees across the continent and a new £1.3billion fund for Africa.

While Britain has the chance to opt-out of a plan to relocate refugees in Italy, Greece and Hungary, David Cameron will come under pressure to co-operate with Mr Juncker to achieve his hopes of renegotiating Britain's EU membership.

In an extraordinary demand to rewrite national laws, the European Commission President said asylum seekers should be able to get a job while their application is still be assessed.

Mr Juncker is calling on member states to agree to an 'emergency relocation mechanism' to deal with asylum seekers currently in Italy, Greece and Hungary.

He also wants a permanent agreement to deal with future crises, which would scrap the rules which mean refugees must seek asylum in the first safe country they reach.

In an often-rambling speech which lasted for more than an hour, Mr Juncker revealed the scale of his ambition for a common migration policy across the EU.

He warned that 'winter is approaching' and every European country had to accept responsibility for thousands of refugees who have fled Syria, Iraq and Eritrea.

'We are talking about human beings, we are not talking about numbers,' he said.

In a surprise demand for a major change in the law on migration, he called for asylum seekers to be given the right to work.

'I am strongly in favour of allowing asylum seekers to work and earn their own money while their applications are being processed.'

While Britain has the chance to opt-out of a plan to relocate refugees in Italy, Greece and Hungary, David Cameron will come under pressure to co-operate with Mr Juncker to achieve his hopes of renegotiating Britain's EU membership

Mr Juncker used his first State of the Union address in Strasbourg to vow to press ahead with the 'compulsory' relocation of 160,000 refugees across the EU

BRUSSELS TO LAUNCH £20MILLION PRO-EU PUBLICITY BLITZ IN 2016 Billboards across Europe will be plastered with posters promoting the EU as part of a 26million euros (£19million) advertising blitz to boost its popularity. Advertisements on TV, radio, in newspapers and online will be bought by the European Commission as part of the campaign next year, which will be its biggest ever. According to plans for the publicity offensive, drawn up by Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, it will aim to ‘achieve a better understanding by European citizens of the EU, its priorities and activities’. The European Commission is desperate to improve its popularity as it continues to try to deal with the Eurozone and migrant crises. It is not known how much of the advertising budget will be spent in Britain. The campaign, which will take place all through next year, could coincide with the referendum on whether the country should leave the EU, which will be held at some point before the end of 2017. Ukip’s deputy leader Paul Nuttall last night said called for the money allocated for the adverts to be returned to taxpayers. He said: ‘This is a desperate attempt by the EU to paper over the cracks just as it is riven by disunity because of the Euro-induced poverty and migrant crisis. ‘No amount of taxpayer-funded propaganda will convince people that the EU is either necessary or doing a good job. ‘I am certain this EU propaganda blitz by the EU will be counter-productive.’ Advertisement

He argued that being in work can give a person 'dignity'. 'Those who are in work are fighting back dignity that they had.'

In a move likely to anger national governments struggling to win public support for accepting refugees, Mr Juncker called for a 'change to national legislation to allow refugees to work from day one of their arrival'.

In July, Mr Juncker called on European leaders to agree to share 40,000 refugees who had successfully made it to the continent.

The number of refugees per country was calculated based on population, economic wealth and unemployment rates.

Mr Juncker now wants the asylum scheme to be expanded to help relocate 160,000 refugees.

Today he warned that Greece Italy and Hungary 'cannot be left alone to cope with this enormous challenge'.

In a blunt warning to EU leaders resisting the demands, he added: 'This has to be done in a compulsory way.'

Under leaked details of the scheme which emerged last week, Germany would accept 35,000 refugees, France 26,000 and Spain 16,000. Even poverty-stricken Bulgaria and Romania will be expected to take thousands of families.

However, the UK – which refused to join the scheme when it was originally set up in May – will not have to take any refugees because it has an opt-out from the EU rules.

David Cameron this week bowed to political pressure and announced that Britain would resettle up to 20,000 people in the UK by 2020.

But he insisted they would only be vulnerable refugees from camps in the region around Syria, and not the thousands who have entered Europe by sea and through the Balkans over recent months.

In the Commons today, Mr Cameron said the UK would stick to its 'own approach' and he warned that focusing on migrants who have already reached Europe would merely encourage more to come.

David Cameron said the UK would stick to its 'own approach' and he warned that focusing on migrants who have already reached Europe would merely encourage more to come

ASYLUM SEEKERS ARE BANNED FROM WORKING WHILE APPLYING In Britain, asylum seekers are banned from working while their application is assessed. Official guidance from UK Visas and Immigration states: 'Most asylum applicants are not allowed to work while we consider their application. 'This is because entering the country for economic reasons is not the same as seeking asylum, and it is important to keep the two separate.' There are only 'limited circumstances' when an asylum seeker can work while being assessed, including if they had a right to work before claiming asylum. However, they are banned from becoming self-employed. Even voluntary work has to be agreed by asylum case officials. Advertisement

Speaking at Prime Minister's Questions in the Commons, Mr Cameron said:

'I think the British approach will be very clear, which is this must be a comprehensive approach.

'If all the focus is on redistributing quotas of refugees around Europe, that won't solve the problem, and it actually sends a message that it is a good idea to get on a boat and make that perilous journey.

'Of course Europe has to reach its own answers for those countries that are part of Schengen.

'Britain, which has its own borders and the ability to make our own sovereign decisions about this, our approach is to say yes, we are a humanitarian nation with a moral conscience.

'We will take 20,000 Syrians but we want a comprehensive approach that puts money into the camps that meets our aid commitments, that solves the problems in Syria, that has a return path to Africa that sees a new government in Libya. We have to address all these issues.'

Critics have called on the UK to do more, arguing urgent action is needed now not over the next five years.

However, a new opinion poll suggests the public appetite for accepting more refugees is waning.

The YouGov poll revealed that 45 per cent of adults questioned said the figure was too high, while one in four – a total of 27 per cent – said they backed Mr Cameron's decision.

Just 15 per cent said they opposed the announcement on the grounds that it did not go far enough.

Mr Juncker called for solidarity from the EU's 28 member states in responding to the influx of refugees from Syria and Libya

Mr Juncker said that Europe was 'sought worldwide as a place of refuge', and was seen by those fleeing Islamic State in the Middle East as 'a place of hope, a haven of stability'.

'This is something to be proud of, and not something to fear,' he said.

He warned that 'as long as there is war in Syria and terror in Libya, the refugee crisis will not simply go away'.

'We can build walls and fences,' said Mr Juncker. 'But imagine for a second if it were you, your children in your arms, the world you know torn apart around you. There is no price you would not pay, no wall you would not climb, no sea you would not go to sea in, no border you would not cross.'

While the EU had donated large sums in aid to refugee camps in the region, Europe had 'clearly under-delivered on common solidarity with regard to the refugees who have arrived on our territory', said Mr Juncker.

He said: 'To me it is clear that the member states where most refugees first arrived - and at the moment these are Italy, Greece and Hungary - cannot be left alone to cope with this enormous challenge.

'This is why the Commission proposed an emergency mechanism back in May to relocate initially 40,000 people seeking international protection from Italy and Greece. And this is why today we are proposing a second emergency mechanism to relocate a further 120,000 people from Italy, Greece and Hungary.

'This has to be done in a compulsory way.'

Mr Juncker said that Europe was 'sought worldwide as a place of refuge', and was seen by those fleeing Islamic State in the Middle East as 'a place of hope, a haven of stability'

ALMOST HALF OF BRITONS THINK REFUGEE FIGURE IS TOO HIGH Nearly half of Britons think the government is planning to take too many refugees from Syria, a poll has revealed. Data published last night exposed the huge gap between the public and opposition parties in Westminster, who have accused David Cameron of not doing enough. Yesterday senior Labour figures demanded that Britain take even more refugees than the number planned by ministers, but a YouGov survey showed voters are hostile to the idea. Mr Cameron said on Monday that 20,000 would come to the UK over the next five years under a UN scheme targeting the most vulnerable. They will be taken from refugee camps in countries neighbouring Syria, to which Britain has donated hundreds of millions of pounds in aid. But the poll revealed that 45 per cent of adults questioned said the figure was too high, while one in four – a total of 27 per cent – said they backed Mr Cameron's decision. Just 15 per cent said they opposed the announcement on the grounds that it did not go far enough. Hostility to additional refugees was even high among people who identified as Labour supporters. Nearly four in ten – 38 per cent – said they wanted fewer than 20,000. This is despite senior Labour figures queuing up this week to demand Britain do more, and posing in pictures on Twitter with signs saying 'refugees welcome'. Advertisement

Mr Juncker also said the Commission was proposing a permanent mechanism to relocate refugees around the EU in future crises, to replace the so-called Dublin system, under which they are expected to claim asylum in the first country where they arrive.

And he said the EU needed to 'look into opening legal channels for migration' in order to make people-smuggling a less attractive route.

The Commission is due to come forward with proposals early next year, he said.

The Commission is also proposing a common EU list of safe countries, from whose nationals asylum applications will not be accepted.

Mr Juncker said many of those arriving in Europe were fleeing 'the war and barbarism of the so-called Islamic State'.

'We are fighting against Islamic State,' he said. 'Why are we not ready to accept those who are fleeing the Islamic State? We have to accept these people on European territory.'

Mr Juncker raised the prospect that the flow of refugees from Syria could be followed by a similar flight of people from Ukraine into the EU.

'We are talking about human beings, not numbers,' he said. 'Human beings are coming from Syria and Libya today. It could easily be the case in Ukraine tomorrow.'

The Commission president rejected the argument that Europe cannot afford to admit large numbers of migrants.

'We have the means to help those fleeing from war, terror and oppression,' he told MEPs.

'I know that many now will want to say, 'That this is all very well but you cannot take everybody'. It is true that Europe can't house all the misery of the world.

'But let us be honest and put things into perspective. There is certainly an important and unprecedented number of refugees coming to Europe at the moment.

'However, they still represent just 0.11 per cent of the total European Union population. In Lebanon, by comparison, refugees represent 25 per cent of the population in a country which has only one-fifth of the wealth we have in the EU.

'Who are we, that we are never making these kinds of comparisons?'

Europe had a 'common history' in which virtually all of its peoples had been forced to flee war or oppression, from the Huguenots of France to the Jews and gypsies of wartime Germany, Spanish republicans following the Civil War and Hungarians after the 1956 uprising against Communism, he said, also citing the exodus to the US of large numbers of Scots and Irish people fleeing poverty in earlier centuries.