As an international row over Zimbabwe's clampdown on democratic rights grows, British ministers have halted deportations to the African country.

Home secretary David Blunkett announced there is to be a temporary freeze on the deportation of failed asylum seekers back to Zimbabwe while officials review the political situation in the country.

The review, which is expected to be completed by the end of the week, could see a permanent halt of deportations to president Mugabe's state.

The decision was announced at a meeting between Blunkett and his Conservative shadow Oliver Letwin, who welcomed the move as "a victory for common sense".

In a statement issued on Tuesday, Blunkett said he had decided to suspend removals of failed asylum seekers to Zimbabwe until after elections are held in March. "We will continue to monitor the situation closely, with a view to re-appraising our position immediately after the elections are concluded," he said.

The home secretary stressed the government would continue to assess each asylum claim made by those from Zimbabwe on its merits, and would still refuse claims which do not have merit.

The policy shift came after claims that failed asylum seekers with links to the Zimbabwean opposition Movement for Democratic Change are being sent back to the country despite being at risk of torture or death. A senior Labour MP had also backed Conservative calls for an urgent review of the deportation policy.

Labour MP Neil Gerrard, chair of the Commons all-party group on refugees, called for a halt to the deportations. "I think we should be looking at the situation now and considering very carefully whether it is safe to send anyone back," he told the BBC on Monday.

"There are precedents in the past where countries got into a chaotic state and the Home Office has got a policy of not returning. I think that is exactly what we should be doing in the case of Zimbabwe".

Oliver Letwin had also called on the government to stop returning asylum seekers to the troubled African country.

The shadow home secretary has requested an urgent meeting with David Blunkett to discuss the situation, pointing to a call by the UN's High Commissioner for Refugees for the international community not to send asylum seekers back to potential persecution by Zimbabwe's president Robert Mugabe.

"What is going on is astonishing," Letwin told BBC radio. "The Home Office is maintaining that being a member of an opposition party in Zimbabwe is not dangerous if they are returned there. Well, I'm afraid they are just wrong about that."

The Home Office had previously said that asylum claims would continue to be assessed "on merit", and speaking on Sunday Tony Blair defended the government's handling of the situation.

"Anybody who claims asylum goes through a procedure where their claim that they will be subject to torture or abuse is tested. But a short time ago people were saying we've been far too lenient on asylum seekers, now they're saying we're being far too tough.

"Actually what we've done is to speed up the process and make it clearer and more transparent, but the basic test is still the same - have they a legitimate claim that they will be subject to persecution? If they have then they stay, if they haven't then they go," he told the BBC.

Mugabe has strongly attacked Britain over a worsening international row triggered by the colonial legacy of Zimbabwe's land ownership - with most fertile land currently owned by white farmers - and a government crackdown on democratic rights ahead of presidential elections in March.

"Britain has a war with us," Zimbabwe's president said. "Prime minister Tony Blair wants his own version of colonialism in Zimbabwe and we will resist that."

Downing Street revealed that the PM discussed the worsening situation with South Africa's president, Thabo Mbeki, on Saturday.

The phone call came ahead of a gathering of southern African leaders at the Southern African Development Community (SADC) meeting in Malawi, which is expected to be dominated by events in Zimbabwe.

Last week the Zimbabwe's parliament passed legislation clamping down on the activities of opposition activists.

A security bill criminalising criticism of the president and giving the police new powers to disperse demonstrations was approved, and laws restricting media freedom and banning foreign journalists are also expected to be passed.

Human rights campaigners Amnesty International called on African leaders to take strong action against Zimbabwe.

"The time has come for SADC to send a strong and consistent message that the situation in Zimbabwe has grown worse, that the Zimbabwean authorities should not allow human rights to be violated with impunity, and that SADC will monitor developments more closely on the ground through its own monitors with the aim of promoting the respect of fundamental human rights necessary for a free and fair election," Amnesty International said.

The organisation said it had received reports that in recent weeks up to 10 people had been killed by state-sponsored militias.

"The SADC presidents should deploy immediately a credible presence of human rights monitors - in addition to election monitors from the SADC Parliamentary Forum to observe the presidential balloting in March 2002 - to avert further political killings, "disappearances", torture and mass displacement of rural people," said Amnesty.