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Lubomir Zaoralek said Brexit showed Europeans were tiring of unchecked migration - with the very existence of the bloc now at stake. He said his country had long respected freedom of movement as one of the European Union’s fundamental freedoms but warned the union itself may not survive because of it. And the diplomat flatly rejected calls for all EU states to accept some of the more than one million migrants who have arrived in the EU from outside the bloc in recent years.

GETTY The EU will collapse due to the freedom of movement

Mr Zaeralek said: “We are saying that we have to respect freedom of movement and other things, for which we would let ourselves be crucified, figuratively speaking.

GETTY The European Union's loyalty to freedom of movement may be its downfall

“But the outcome may be that due to these principles the union may break up. "When you have two million people coming from the east who take your jobs, social support and a number of other things, you can [attempt to] persuade your own people a thousand times to get used to it.

Powerful images as migrants protest in Hungary Tue, April 4, 2017 Migrants protest outside Budapest's Keleti Railway Station after it was closed off by police to prevent people travelling on to western Europe Play slideshow REUTERS 1 of 53 A migrant taunts Hungarian riot police as they fire tear gas and water cannon on the Serbian side of the border, near Roszke

“They won't take it, because you simply went too far and you did not tell them the truth.” Mr Zaoralek said Eurocrats were so determined to protect freedom of movement they were not even considering how it will effect issues such as jobs and housing.

Free movement of people is the basis of the EU Lubomir Zaoralek

He said: “Free movement of people is the basis of the EU. However, we have to consider how to regulate the jobs market, how to combat social dumping, so that the united market will not work against EU citizens.” He said Brexit should act as a warning to those across the union, rather than as something to ignore.

GETTY Lubomir Zaoralek said the EU must curb free movement

GETTY Lubomir Zaoralek said the EU cannot force states to accept migrants