Most of North Africans try to reach Europe across the Mediterranean

At a summit of 10 Mediterranean nations in Tunis, they said Europe welcomed immigrants but not in conditions of "anarchy and indignity."

However, the North African leaders said they needed more financial help from the European Union, and that the issue had to be tackled on a global level.

Some 500,000 people a year risk their lives trying to enter Europe illegally.

In recent months, dozens of Africans have drowned after leaving Morocco.

We have to reduce disparities and create a partnership between our countries to meet the challenges which confront us Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika

The issue of Islamic militancy was also expected to dominate the two-day informal meeting.

The so-called "five plus five" summit brings together the leaders of the Arab Maghreb - Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Libya and Mauritania - and five southern European states - France, Italy, Spain, Portugal and Malta.

Huge disparities

"Europe has needed immigrants and continues to need them but not in conditions of anarchy and indignity," President of the European Commission Romano Prodi said at the opening day of the summit on Friday.

Chirac said it was essential to enliven the Maghreb economy

His words were echoed by Maltese Prime Minister Eddie Fenech Adami who said it would benefit both Europe and Africa "to regulate the flow " of immigrants.

But the North African leaders called for greater financial assistance from affluent European countries, saying there was little they could do on they own to tackle the problem.

"We have to reduce disparities and create a partnership between our countries to meet the challenges which confront us," said the host of the summit, Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.

French President Jacques Chirac told summit leaders it was absolutely critical to enliven the economy of the Maghreb region.

Fighting terrorism

Experts say that North Africa has become a more important region for the West following the 11 September terror attacks in the United States.

Algeria has been fighting Islamic militants for more than a decades, while Morocco and Tunisia have suffered suicide bombing attacks in recent years.

The North African leaders agreed that they urgently needed to improve security, but said that poverty and hopelessness was driving young men in their countries to extremist groups.

"We should not forget the need to control the underlying causes of terrorism," said Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika.

The European-North African forum first convened in 1990 but since then meetings have been few and far between.