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| Migrant crisis: Pressure mounts as UK urged to 'do more' | Migrant crisis: Pressure mounts as UK urged to 'do more' |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| David Cameron is facing growing pressure at home and abroad for the UK to take in more of the many thousands of people fleeing to Europe. | David Cameron is facing growing pressure at home and abroad for the UK to take in more of the many thousands of people fleeing to Europe. |
| SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon said Scotland would "stand ready" to offer refugees sanctuary and some Tories have been calling for Britain to do more. | |
| It comes after a picture of a dead boy lying on a Turkish beach sparked an outcry over the crisis's human cost. | It comes after a picture of a dead boy lying on a Turkish beach sparked an outcry over the crisis's human cost. |
| On Wednesday, the prime minister said taking more people was not the answer. | On Wednesday, the prime minister said taking more people was not the answer. |
| Instead, he argued, it was important to "bring peace and stability" to the parts of the world migrants were fleeing from, such as war-ravaged Syria. | Instead, he argued, it was important to "bring peace and stability" to the parts of the world migrants were fleeing from, such as war-ravaged Syria. |
| But an online petition calling on the UK to accept more refugees has passed the 100,000 threshold, meaning it is eligible to be considered for a debate in Parliament. | But an online petition calling on the UK to accept more refugees has passed the 100,000 threshold, meaning it is eligible to be considered for a debate in Parliament. |
| It says the UK "is not offering proportional asylum" in comparison with other EU countries. | It says the UK "is not offering proportional asylum" in comparison with other EU countries. |
| Most vulnerable | |
| A number of Conservatives have called for the government to take in more migrants, with ex-party chairman Baroness Warsi saying the UK should be prepared to "share the burden". | |
| Tory backbencher David Burrowes said the UK "should accept thousands, not hundreds" of people, while Stafford MP Jeremy Lefroy said he believed the UK should provide sanctuary to more refugees. | |
| Johnny Mercer, the Conservative MP for Plymouth Moor View, said that mothers trying to keep their children afloat on life jackets should not think of the UK as a place that did not welcome them. | Johnny Mercer, the Conservative MP for Plymouth Moor View, said that mothers trying to keep their children afloat on life jackets should not think of the UK as a place that did not welcome them. |
| Analysis, BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg | Analysis, BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg |
| Only the hardest of hearts would not be moved by the latest images of the people who have been caught up in the danger and chaos of this mass movement. | Only the hardest of hearts would not be moved by the latest images of the people who have been caught up in the danger and chaos of this mass movement. |
| Images of a toddler, washed up on a beach in Turkey, ram home the sometimes deadly consequences of what is going on. | Images of a toddler, washed up on a beach in Turkey, ram home the sometimes deadly consequences of what is going on. |
| Right now though there seems little prospect of the UK government shifting its position on taking in more refugees, as EU leaders and Labour opponents have been calling for. | Right now though there seems little prospect of the UK government shifting its position on taking in more refugees, as EU leaders and Labour opponents have been calling for. |
| Although these latest images are heart-wrenching, David Cameron's conviction is that it's more effective to tackle the cause not the symptom of this crisis. | |
| Read more from Laura. | Read more from Laura. |
| Ruth Davidson, leader of the Scottish Conservative party, added her voice to calls for the UK to offer more help to refugees, tweeting that "this is not an immigration issue, it's a humanitarian one". | Ruth Davidson, leader of the Scottish Conservative party, added her voice to calls for the UK to offer more help to refugees, tweeting that "this is not an immigration issue, it's a humanitarian one". |
| However, a Downing Street source suggested to the BBC that calls for the UK to accept more refugees would not be heeded. | However, a Downing Street source suggested to the BBC that calls for the UK to accept more refugees would not be heeded. |
| The source said that since last year Britain had accepted 216 people under a scheme to relocate the most vulnerable refugees, and almost 5,000 Syrians had been granted asylum in the last four years. | The source said that since last year Britain had accepted 216 people under a scheme to relocate the most vulnerable refugees, and almost 5,000 Syrians had been granted asylum in the last four years. |
| Immigration Minister James Brokenshire told the BBC the UK had contributed £900m in humanitarian aid to help with the Syrian crisis. | Immigration Minister James Brokenshire told the BBC the UK had contributed £900m in humanitarian aid to help with the Syrian crisis. |
| "The solutions lie beyond the shores of Europe and preventing people feeling they have to make that journey across the Mediterranean sea," Mr Brokenshire told Radio Kent. | "The solutions lie beyond the shores of Europe and preventing people feeling they have to make that journey across the Mediterranean sea," Mr Brokenshire told Radio Kent. |
| 'Passing the buck' | 'Passing the buck' |
| Addressing the Scottish Parliament on Thursday, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon criticised the UK government's approach and expressed her anger at its "walk-on-by attitude". | |
| "I implore David Cameron to change his position today," she said, adding: "I pledge as first minister of this country that we stand ready to offer sanctuary to refugees that need our help." | |
| Ex-Conservative International Development Secretary Andrew Mitchell told the BBC's Newsnight the UK had done "more than the whole of the EU put together in terms of financial support". | Ex-Conservative International Development Secretary Andrew Mitchell told the BBC's Newsnight the UK had done "more than the whole of the EU put together in terms of financial support". |
| "Were Britain not providing that support, there would be yet more hundreds of thousands of people coming out of that part of the world," he said. | "Were Britain not providing that support, there would be yet more hundreds of thousands of people coming out of that part of the world," he said. |
| Baroness Warsi, a former Foreign Office minister, said that while Britain had been "incredibly generous" in its support for Syrian refugees it could do more in response to the "unfolding crisis" in Europe. | Baroness Warsi, a former Foreign Office minister, said that while Britain had been "incredibly generous" in its support for Syrian refugees it could do more in response to the "unfolding crisis" in Europe. |
| She told BBC Radio 4's Today programme Britain had a "long and proud" tradition of helping in times of crisis, and Britain should say to the rest of the Europe "that we will, too, share the burden". | She told BBC Radio 4's Today programme Britain had a "long and proud" tradition of helping in times of crisis, and Britain should say to the rest of the Europe "that we will, too, share the burden". |
| Lady Warsi suggested the government should consider accepting more women and children refugees "genuinely" fleeing war and persecution - but that a "firm" line should be taken against economic migrants. | Lady Warsi suggested the government should consider accepting more women and children refugees "genuinely" fleeing war and persecution - but that a "firm" line should be taken against economic migrants. |
| Labour leadership candidate Andy Burnham is urging Mr Cameron to call an emergency debate and vote on the issue when Parliament returns from its summer recess next week. | Labour leadership candidate Andy Burnham is urging Mr Cameron to call an emergency debate and vote on the issue when Parliament returns from its summer recess next week. |
| Fellow candidate Yvette Cooper, shadow home secretary, has written to Mr Cameron asking him to take in more refugees, and described the current situation as the "greatest humanitarian crisis to reach our continent since the Second World War". | Fellow candidate Yvette Cooper, shadow home secretary, has written to Mr Cameron asking him to take in more refugees, and described the current situation as the "greatest humanitarian crisis to reach our continent since the Second World War". |
| Peter Sutherland, the United Nations special representative on international migration, told the BBC's Newsnight that while some countries were "massively bearing the burden", the UK was among those that "can do more". | Peter Sutherland, the United Nations special representative on international migration, told the BBC's Newsnight that while some countries were "massively bearing the burden", the UK was among those that "can do more". |
| Hungary's Prime Minister, Viktor Orban, is to meet European leaders in Brussels for talks later about the ongoing migrant crisis. Hundreds of migrants have been stranded at a railway station in Hungary's capital, Budapest. | Hungary's Prime Minister, Viktor Orban, is to meet European leaders in Brussels for talks later about the ongoing migrant crisis. Hundreds of migrants have been stranded at a railway station in Hungary's capital, Budapest. |
| They were prevented from getting on trains to leave Hungary, but the main railway station in Budapest has now opened its doors to those who have been gathered there for the past two days. | They were prevented from getting on trains to leave Hungary, but the main railway station in Budapest has now opened its doors to those who have been gathered there for the past two days. |
| Full coverage of Europe migrant crisis | Full coverage of Europe migrant crisis |
| EU migration: Crisis in graphics | EU migration: Crisis in graphics |
| In photos: One day across destination Europe | In photos: One day across destination Europe |
| The migrants who risk everything for a better life | The migrants who risk everything for a better life |
| Five obstacles to an EU migrants deal | Five obstacles to an EU migrants deal |
| Syrian's perilous journey to Sweden | Syrian's perilous journey to Sweden |
| Migrants or refugees? | Migrants or refugees? |
| The word migrant is defined in the Oxford English Dictionary as "one who moves, either temporarily or permanently, from one place, area, or country of residence to another". | The word migrant is defined in the Oxford English Dictionary as "one who moves, either temporarily or permanently, from one place, area, or country of residence to another". |
| A refugee is, according to the 1951 Refugee Convention, any person who "owing to a well-founded fear" of persecution is outside their country of nationality and "unable" or "unwilling" to seek the protection of that country. To gain the status, one has to go through the legal process of claiming asylum. | A refugee is, according to the 1951 Refugee Convention, any person who "owing to a well-founded fear" of persecution is outside their country of nationality and "unable" or "unwilling" to seek the protection of that country. To gain the status, one has to go through the legal process of claiming asylum. |
| The word migrant has traditionally been considered a neutral term, but some criticise the BBC and other media for using a word they say implies something voluntary, and should not be applied to people fleeing danger. | The word migrant has traditionally been considered a neutral term, but some criticise the BBC and other media for using a word they say implies something voluntary, and should not be applied to people fleeing danger. |
| Battle over words to describe migrants | Battle over words to describe migrants |
| What are your suggestions for solving the crisis? What do you think would help? Please get in touch with your ideas and the practical things you are doing because of what is going on. If you are happy to speak to a BBC journalist, please include contact details. | What are your suggestions for solving the crisis? What do you think would help? Please get in touch with your ideas and the practical things you are doing because of what is going on. If you are happy to speak to a BBC journalist, please include contact details. |
| Or comment here: | Or comment here: |