Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi and German Chancellor Angela Merkel have agreed to step up efforts to send asylum seekers with no right to asylum in Europe back to their homelands.

Key points: Merkel says "not everyone can stay"

Merkel says "not everyone can stay" Her comments come one year after she signalled an open door policy

Her comments come one year after she signalled an open door policy Merkel cites Turkey-EU deal as an example of cooperation stemming immigration

"All of us in Europe must work for the repatriation of those who do not have rights [to stay]," Mr Renzi said after a meeting with Ms Merkel.

"It is unthinkable that we can accommodate everyone."

In comments pointing to a hardening of attitudes about how to resolve the asylum seeker crisis reshaping politics across Europe, Ms Merkel added: "Not everyone can stay, and Italy has the same problem, so we have a common agenda".

"Those who do not have the right to stay have to be repatriated."

The German leader was speaking a year to the day after she after she won praise and criticism in equal measure for signalling an open door policy on migrants and refugees by declaring "we can do this", referring to people fleeing the conflict in Syria.

Ms Merkel said that she stood by her words.

"I'm convinced it was the right phrase," she said, striking a less contrite tone than she had adopted in an interview with local media that was published on Wednesday.

"There are political issues that one can see coming but don't really register with people at that certain moment," she said.

"And in Germany, we ignored both the problem for too long and blocked out the need to find a pan-European solution."

Ms Merkel pointed to the controversial EU-Turkey deal signed in March aimed at stemming the flow of asylum seekers to Europe as an example of how cooperation could help "halt illegal migration".

She added that economic incentives should be used to help would-be asylum seekers remain in their own countries.

"It is important that we make deals with the countries of origin," Ms Merkel said, giving the example of the deal struck between Italy, France and Germany and Mali and Niger to promote economic growth in the sub-saharan countries.

AFP