European development aid for poor countries should be tied to tough immigration measures, EU justice ministers heard on Thursday.

David Blunkett called for EU aid to be conditional on efforts to halt illegal immigration and the return of deported migrants whose refugee claims have failed.

The home secretary said the controversial move has been accepted by the EU council.

"Our document setting out a clear agenda for action was generally welcomed by the 14 other EU ministers and accepted by commissioner Vitorino," he said.

'It was agreed that, in conjunction with foreign ministers at their meeting next week, proposals would be put to the Seville council and in particular, to establish a clear timetable and plan to turn the general agreement into positive and early action."

The Home Office claims that the key positions laid out by the UK were accepted and seen as "a key framework for balancing positive legal economic migration and the economic benefits it brings with tough action" against traffickers and clandestine entry throughout the EU.

In the conventional European manner, the debate is unlikely to be over, the connection between development grants is backed Spain and Denmark but strongly criticised by Sweden and others.

And any European linkage of aid to deportations is likely to spark anger amongst Labour backbenchers and some ministers.

The international development secretary, Clare Short, recently attacked a leaked Downing Street paper which called on aid to Somalia, Sri Lanka and Turkey to be linked to the number of refugees they accept back.

Short said the idea was "not thought through and not sensible"."People say things like that without thinking," she insisted. "In terms of British aid, it is illegal, because under law we can only spend it for development."

A Home Office paper produced ahead of the EU justice and home affairs council argued that European development grants should be linked to immigration policy.

"Without undermining the need to better focus aid on the reduction of poverty in low income countries, [the UK calls] on the commission to include co-operation on returns and illegal immigration as one of the factors it considers when deciding financial assistance to third countries," the document stated.

The UK also wanted to secure co-operation on migration from countries outside the EU when setting up trade deals and co-operation agreements.

Blunkett believes the aid measures are a vital part of "getting results on a common migration and asylum policy across Europe".

"We are working against a tight timetable with our EU partners - but progress has been too slow," he told ministers.

"We need to give confidence to people living in all EU countries that we are giving priority to these issues."

Blunkett believes that linking foreign aid grants forms a key part in developing a unified approach to tackling the asylum "crisis".

"We need solutions that tackle the problem of illegal immigration at all levels, not just at the borders to the EU or within our own countries," he argued.

Britain is also calling on other European countries to toughen up the policing of their borders.

In a move which will be seen as direct criticism of France over its handling of the Sangatte refugee camp, Blunkett said that "strong borders must be a priority" for all EU member states.

"European countries have a responsibility not to pass the buck from one to another," he added.

Despite different challenges because of geographical position or the nature of borders, Blunkett said that "the task we face is common to all of us".

He will also back the development of new bilateral operations between member states where a specific problem exists.

"Today's illegal sea-borne migrants in the Mediterranean are next week's illegal entrants trying to get to the UK or another country," he said.

Britain is also pressing its EU counterparts to agree a modern definition of a refugee by December 2002.

The UK is also calling for a renegotiation of the Dublin Two convention - which decides which country is responsible for a refugee's asylum claims.

Britain wants to see the system reformed in order to make it legal to send Channel Tunnel refugees back to France.

"These are global issues. We need to share the burden and co-ordinate policy to avoid differences between countries being exploited by the people smugglers and those who do not have a genuine fear of persecution," the home secretary told the meeting.

The Tories are today welcoming the increased emphasis on bilateral and multilateral agreements.

The shadow home secretary, Oliver Letwin, said Labour was now adopting established Tory policy.

"I congratulate the home secretary on his plans to discuss the implementation of bi-lateral and multi-lateral agreements to deal with asylum across Europe. We have been calling for this over the last eight months," he said.

"This is a good example of the government following the opposition's lead."