German Chancellor Angela Merkel has made it clear she would rather see the UK leave the European Union than place a cap on the number of migrant workers coming to the region.

The remark, spoken to UK Prime Minister David Cameron at a summit in Brussels last month, comes ahead of a re-negotiation bid for Britain's membership to the EU where Cameron will lay out plans on a labor market reform.

Like Us on Facebook

Cameron is seeking to regulate EU migration by limiting the national insurance number issuances to migrant workers, according to sources cited by the Belfast Telegraph.

But European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker posited that such a proposal would be counterproductive to the freedom of movement principle, which has been practiced by the union since 1957. The sentiment is shared by Merkel.

Senior Conservative Tory MP and former justice secretary Ken Clarke echoed the Merkel and Juncker's arguments on Sunday, as he underscored the importance of free labor movement to the market.

Merkel has warned Cameron his insistence on the issue was nearing the "point of no return" and threatened to shelve efforts to keep Britain in the EU should he decide to pursue his plans.

The Chancellor acknowledged the problems within the EU's migration system but that any solution should adhere to the basic principle of freedom of movement in Europe.

It appears Cameron heeded Merkel's ultimatums as he sought alternatives to deal with the immigration issue, one of which was stretching existing union rules to its limits, the Sunday Times relayed.

Cameron is considering imposing a three-month-upon-arrival deadline for foreign workers in the EU to find jobs, after which they will be required to leave should they find none and are unable to support themselves.

The main goal is to come up with a German-compliant list of measures, an unidentified minister said, emphasizing that Cameron should square with Merkel otherwise he gets nothing.

TagsSocial Issues, angela merkel, Politics of Europe, government, Migrant worker