Mr Howard says economic needs should determine immigration limits

It follows his speech saying his party would crack down on people who come to the UK illegally - and also bring in annual quotas for immigrants.

In an interview with the BBC, the Tory leader laughed off suggestions his policy was aping the UK Independence Party's policies.

He argued immigration levels concerned most people in this country.

Flexibility

In his speech Mr Howard said the Tories would reinstate a system of checks on people leaving the UK and pull out of the "outdated" 1951 UN refugee convention.

That prompted the Refugee Council to say the policy would "put lives at risk".

Immigration Minister Des Browne said that plan was "a denial of the 20th century and a denial of the needs of the world we live in".

He argued the case for flexibility in Britain's labour markets while at the same maintaining tight border controls.

Lib Dem home affairs spokesman Mark Oaten MP said: "Michael Howard's approach is all about limiting not welcoming."

Core voters?

UKIP MEP Robert Kilroy-Silk meanwhile accused Mr Howard of plagiarising a speech he made on immigration earlier in the week.

Asked about that on BBC Radio 4's Today programme the Tory leader said: "I must confess I don't read UKIP's website, so I'm afraid I was totally unaware that UKIP had put forward these proposals, but if they do support them, that's fine. I welcome the support."

He added that it would be a mistake to believe the only people who were worried by immigration levels were core Tory voters.

"The truth is that this is a concern that extends across most people in the country," said Mr Howard.

Mr Howard then quoted government figures that he said showed the British population would grow by 5.6m people in the next 30 years.

Limited benefits

"That is five times the population of Birmingham, and 85% of that increase is due to immigration," he said, adding that such a volume would impact on areas such as housing and public services.

Migrationwatch chairman Sir Andrew Green welcomed Mr Howard's proposals adding that the economic benefits of immigration were very small.

He told Today he wanted immigration and emigration to "come into balance".

"If immigration went to zero our population would increase by a million over the next 20 years so it's not a question of a decline in population," he said.

Sir Andrew acknowledged Britain's was an ageing population but argued immigration was not the answer.

Chaotic?

Dr Heaven Crawley, who runs a groups called Asylum, Migration, Race and Equality, said migrant workers filled important gaps in the UK's labour market.

"No-one is saying there should be an open door here but the problem with Michael Howard's approach is that he closes off a debate because he puts fear into people rather than opening up an honest discussion," she told Today.

In Wednesday's speech Mr Howard said Britain's immigration and asylum system had broken down and voters were aware it was "chaotic, unfair and out of control", he said.

The former home secretary said his decision to lift checks for passengers leaving the UK for the EU was a mistake which had been compounded by New Labour's decision to scrap all embarkation controls in March 1998.

On the UN convention he said it should be replaced with British legislation as the 1951 document had ceased to be effective.

Naked politics?

The convention obliges nations to give shelter to people with a well-founded fear of persecution and forbids returning asylum seekers to countries where they might face further harm.

The UN High Commission for Refugees' Peter Kessler said it was "preposterous" to suggest opting out of the convention would "lessen the number of asylum seekers and refugees fleeing their countries".

But Mr Howard insisted: "Genuine refugees will be welcomed, but those who are not will be swiftly removed."