The Danish People's Party is calling for a further tightening of immigraiton rules to make family reunion immigration more difficult.

The party, which is the government's safety net in Parliament, entered into an agreement with the government a year ago to secure Denmark against family reunion rules in the European Union that are less strict than in Denmark..

But the party says that the rules aren't working well enough.

"We are concerned about the increase that we have seen over the past six months. Even though the 4-500 people (that have received reunion status) this year is not up at the numbers we had feared, this is still too many," says DPP Deputy Chairman Peter Skaarup.

From January to July this year, 273 people have been given family reunion status under EU rules, twice as many as in all of 2008. The Danish People's Party is therefore presenting its demand for a re-negotiation of the rules as part of the budget position that it presents today.

"Obviously the agreement will be re-negotiated before we sit down and negotiate the budget. That is the right way to do this," says Skaarup.

No comment
The Liberal Party Political Spokesman Peter Christensen is urging the Danish People's Party to take one thing at a time.

"There is a crisis, so let us focus on that, rather than bringing immigration policy into the budget negotiations," Christensen says.

Cabinet ministers have not immediately been available for comment on the Danish People's Party demands.