Senior officials from the European Union and African countries have approved a draft action plan to tackle the crisis over the growing number of illegal immigrants making dangerous journeys by sea from north and west Africa to enter Europe.
Before being implemented, the plan, which combines both repressive and preventive measures, must be formally adopted at a ministerial level meeting due to be held next month in the Moroccan capital, Rabat.
The project was initiated by Spain and Morocco with the backing of France.
Spain, geographically the closest European country to Africa, has seen a recent influx of illegal immigration from north and west Africa to the Canary Islands.
The Spanish authorities have reported a record 9,000 would-be migrants this year alone, more than double last year's total arrivals.
Planned measures include strengthening border controls, repatriating clandestine migrants and economic measures aimed at preventing the exodus of Africans from the continent.
The proposals were drawn up at talks in the Senegalese capital, Dakar, which were also attended by representatives of international migration and funding agencies.
200m live outside home country: UN
Separately, a new United Nations report has found that nearly 200 million people now live outside their country of origin. This is up 25% since 1990.
The report by the UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, says most migrants have gone to rich countries, and one in every five to the United States.
In some countries, money sent home from abroad accounts for a large proportion of the national income.
Mr Annan submitted his report to the UN ahead of a high-level meeting on international migration and development which the General Assembly will host in September.
