"Let me stress that as far as EU aid is concerned we are not talking about anything whatsoever that would run counter to the fundamental aim of poverty reduction," he said.

But he said developing countries had a responsibility to participate in efforts to stem immigration.

However, Denmark, which takes over the rotating EU presidency from Spain in July, maintained its support for the hardline policy.

"I think we need a mechanism whereby countries agree to take back their own citizens who have illegally come to the EU," said Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen.

The tone of the debate has caused concern among human right groups who complain that a "Fortress Europe" mentality is growing.

And they express concern that the EU's attempt to redefine the basis for granting refugee status to asylum-seekers would take away the safeguards for persecuted people in the Geneva convention.

Among the other immigration proposals to be discussed at the Seville summit are plans

• to step up border controls
• to agree common procedures on processing asylum applications
• to create a trans-national border police force.