EU needs a 'miracle' Denmark HITS OUT: PM warns he will IGNORE Brussels' border orders
DENMARK has vowed to ignore a controversial order by EU bureaucrats to lift its strict border controls.
Danish MEP blasts EU for majority of the country's problems
The Scandinavian country introduced the hardline measures in a desperate bid to stem the flow of migrants into Europe.
Germany, Austria and Norway, which are also part of the passport-free Schengen zone, also followed suit.
The European Commission has told the four nations to relax the controls, which were imposed in 2015, within six months.
But Denmark’s prime minister today said he would refuse to give into their demands.
Lars Lokke Rasmussen said the amount of migrants and refugees arriving in Europe "is still far too high".
He added: "We will continue border controls unless the EU miraculously finds ways to regain control of its outer frontiers."
Denmark will ignore the EU's orders to lift strict border controls
Lars Lokke Rasmussen's comments are likely to anger Brussels
His comments are likely to infuriate the EU, which insists the number of arrivals has fallen dramatically since 2015.
Brussels struck a landmark deal with Turkey last March to send back those arriving on the continent illegally.
But thousands of migrants are still reaching Europe from Libya via sea routes to Italy, according to recent figures.
The EU insists the number of migrants arriving in Europe has fallen
Earlier this month, Danish immigration minister Inger Stojberg signalled his desire to keep the measures in place.
He told local media: "When the time comes, then we'll look at it. I will obviously listen to the Commission.
"We cannot lift border controls if it's still necessary to have a border control."