A "helpless and pathetic" government has surrendered more of Britain's powers to Brussels, the Conservatives have said.

In a Commons statement, David Blunkett defended plans to expand European cooperation in order to tackle asylum and immigration policies.

Decisions taken in Luxembourg on Monday by the 25 interior ministers will see the UK opt in to closer links on asylum policy.

But the government has said it will not back a common border force run from Brussels.

Blunkett said the latest measures were good for Britain.

But shadow home secretary David Davis said they would have "serious consequences for Britain's future ability to control its own borders".

Beneficial

The home secretary told MPs that EU ministers had adopted a sensible programme.

Blunkett said the UK would opt in to "those immigration and asylum measures which we believe are right for Britain and right for Europe".

"This clearly means that we can remain out of those propositions which we do not believe are beneficial to the UK.

"It also clearly means that we can maintain sovereignty over the control of our borders and of course the necessary security and immigration screening which will now be enhanced by electronic border controls and surveillance, and the introduction of ID cards."

Blunkett said the UK would back collaboration but not "control organised from Brussels".

He added that individual nations must maintain control over who is allowed to enter their own country.

Surrender

But Davis said the government's words should be treated "with a great deal of scepticism".

The Tory frontbencher warned that European judges could take a larger role in overseeing British policy.

"We are losing the power of our veto on immigration and asylum, a matter of constitutional importance," he said.

"The government doesn't even have the courage to admit it."

He said ministers were deliberately trying to confuse the country about proposals after pledging to keep immigration a matter for national governments.

Davis said the government had "systematically broken that promise".

"We have a helpless and pathetic government that failed to control our borders and failed to send back failed asylum seekers," he said.

"As usual the government has returned claiming a victory.

"In truth they are trying to cover up a surrender with serious consequences for Britain's future ability to control its own borders."

For the Liberal Democrats, home affairs spokesman Mark Oaten backed the government's position.

He said ministers had "done the right thing in Europe" on this issue.