Sarkozy told AFP that he and British Home Secretary Charles Clarke were sending officials next week to the region, which is relatively safe by Iraqi standards, to negotiate a return agreement with the authorities there.

"We are talking with Clarke, because together we are going to send a certain number of illegal immigrants to Iraqi Kurdistan," he said, noting that Britain had far better contacts in the region than France.

A French official said the programme would only concern volunteers.

Britain, which fought in Iraq alongside the United States, has increased the number of enforced and voluntary removals to Iraq. More than 1,000 Iraqis have gone home under voluntary return programmes over the last two years.

Errors have occurred. British officials went searching last month for an Iraqi Kurd wrongly deported to Iraq, so that he could return to Britain where he would have more time to appeal against his removal.

Sarkozy, who will run in next year's presidential election in France, and Clarke appeared to fall out during the British EU presidency in the second half of last year, but the French minister suggested their ties were on the mend.

"We had a long bilateral together. We are in agreement on almost all of the subjects," he said, on the sidelines of a meeting of EU justice and interior ministers in Vienna.

"We both have a willingness to work very closely together. It is a political willingness that will see me travel to London in early February."

The two men arrived at the venue side-by-side but there was no obvious warmth or even chatter between them.