(MADRID) - Britain and Spain agreed on Wednesday to boost cooperation to combat illegal immigration from Africa into the European Union, Britain's minister for Europe Jim Murphy said.

"Spain and the UK can work together to help the EU deal effectively with the human tragedy of illegal immigration, and we can stimulate the EU into becoming a model power and promoter of human and economic development across the globe," he said.

Murphy was speaking at a lunch at Spain's New Economic Forum following talks with his Spanish counterpart, Diego Lopez Garrido.

"The UK and Spain have today agreed to strengthen our cooperation on migration from sub-Saharan Africa," particularly in Ethiopia and Senegal, he said.

The minister said Britain and the rest of the European Union had a lot to learn from Spain's experience on the issue, particularly in north Africa.

He said the problem must be dealt with "in the countries that the people are coming from, and that's about making those countries stable and prosperous, so that for those who are aspirational and middle class ... they see their future in their own countries.

"It's about getting aid in place, but ultimately is about developing markets."

Spain, which has been the hardest hit by illegal immigration among EU nations, has signed deals with seven west African countries in a bid to control the flow of migrants.

The number of immigrants living in Spain soared from around half a million in 1996 to 4.5 million by the end of 2006 out of a total population of 45.12 million people, according to national statistics institute INE.

Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero has called for an EU-Africa pact to combat the problem, which he termed "the dramatic result of a collective failure."

Britain has also seen a huge wave of immigrants over the last decade, in particular from new EU members such as Poland.

Murphy said Britain and Spain are "undoubtedly natural partners in the EU", in part since both are "economically adventurous and successful."

He called on the EU to "face the challenges of globalisation."

The minister also termed "climate security the greatest challenge to our economies... Business as usual is not an option."

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