France agrees to plan timetable for closing Sangatte camp

France agreed to draw up a timetable for the closure of the Sangatte refugee camp last night after David Blunkett, the Home Secretary, promised new security measures to halt the flow of asylum seekers across the Channel.

The detailed plan to close the controversial three-year-old transit camp near Calais will be negotiated by London and Paris next month.

Nicolas Sarkozy, the French Interior Minister, said the issue had "poisoned" relations between Britain and France for three years. He made it clear that a deal to shut the camp would depend on British measures, including passing new immigration legislation and acting to speed up the processing of asylum claims. But privately British officials made it clear they were confident a deal could be secured.

Mr Blunkett announced a package of measures to strengthen security around the Frethun freight terminal which has been besieged by asylum seekers. He promised financial aid towards the £5m cost of installing fences and security at the depot, and said sophisticated detection equipment would be installed at Calais to prevent stowaways.

Speaking after talks in London, Mr Sarkozy said: "For us the closure of Sangatte remains an objective and as soon as the new UK legislation is in force we will be ready to commit to a timetable which we will discuss in detail in July."

Mr Blunkett said: "Nicolas Sarkozy and I are two people who can do business ... we now have the opportunity to put in place measures we can both contribute to, to get this matter resolved once and for all."

Government sources insisted that no deal for Britain to take some or all of the 1,300 people at Sangatte had been agreed. The French had "liked" proposals for a British ID card, due to be published in a consultation paper tomorrow but such a scheme was also not a condition of the deal.

The camp, originally planned for 600 people, attracted young men from Iran, Iraq and Kurdistan desperate for a better life in Britain. Around 200 a night attempting to smuggle themselves into the country. Eurotunnel twice launched unsuccessful legal bids to force its closure.