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Migrant crisis: George Osborne 'distressed' by dead boy image | |
(34 minutes later) | |
Chancellor George Osborne has said he was "very distressed" to see the image of a young Syrian boy lying dead on a beach in Turkey. | |
But he insisted there was no "simple answer" to the migrant crisis, as pressure piles on the government to do more to help those fleeing to Europe. | |
SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon accused the government of a "walk on by" attitude. | |
Mr Osborne said Britain would continue to take in "genuine refugees" with the situation kept "under review". | |
He said the problems needed to be tackled at source, including by continuing overseas aid and tackling so-called Islamic State and human traffickers, who Mr Osborne blamed for the boy's death. | |
Mr Osborne was speaking after an online petition calling on the UK to accept more refugees passed the 100,000 threshold, meaning it is now eligible to be considered for a debate in Parliament. | |
'Genuine refugees' | |
On Wednesday, David Cameron said "taking more and more" people was not the answer, and the focus should be on bringing "peace and stability" to war-ravaged parts of the world people were fleeing from, such as Syria. | |
But calls for the UK to do more intensified on Thursday after the picture of the dead boy on the beach sparked an outcry over the human cost of the crisis. | |
Speaking to reporters during a visit to a Nissan factory, Mr Osborne said: "There's no person who wouldn't be very shocked by that picture. | |
"I was very distressed when I saw it myself this morning, of that poor boy lying dead on the beach." | |
But he added: "We know there is not a simple answer to this crisis, and what you need to do is first of all tackle Isis and the criminal gangs who killed that boy. | |
"You have got to make sure the aid keeps coming - we have put £1bn of overseas aid in to help these desperate people. | |
"And of course Britain has always been a home to real asylum seekers, genuine refugees. We have taken 5,000 people from the Syrian conflict, we will go on taking people and keep it under review." | |
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. | 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. |
There have been cross-party calls at home and from abroad for the UK to take in more refugees, as Europe struggles to cope with the daily influx of migrants. | |
Attacking the government's response to the crisis, Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon pledged that Scotland would "stand ready to offer sanctuary to refugees that need our help". | |
She said she was "reduced to tears" at the image of the dead child, adding: "He and thousands like him whose lives are at risk is not someone else's responsibly; they are the responsibility of all of us." | |
"I am very angry at the walk-on-by attitude of the UK government and I implore David Cameron to change his position and change it today," she told the Scottish Parliament. | |
Ex-party chairman Baroness Warsi was among the Conservatives calling for the government to do more, suggesting more women and children refugees should be accepted by the UK. | |
She told BBC Radio 4's Today programme Britain had a "long and proud" tradition of helping in times of crisis, and should say to the rest of the Europe "that we will, too, share the burden". | |
Tory MP David Burrowes said "thousands, not hundreds" of people should be taken in, while Ruth Davidson, leader of the Scottish Conservatives, tweeted "this is not an immigration issue, it's a humanitarian one", as she called for more help for refugees. | |
Last year Britain 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," he told Radio Kent. | |
'Passing the buck' | 'Passing the buck' |
Ex-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. |
But acting Labour leader Harriet Harman accused Mr Cameron of "lurking with his head in the sand trying to pretend that nobody cares and it's not our problem". | |
Labour leadership candidate Andy Burnham is calling for a emergency debate and vote on the issue when Parliament returns from its summer recess next week. | |
Fellow candidate Yvette Cooper has written to Mr Cameron asking him to take in more refugees while Jeremy Corbyn - another leadership contender - said the prime minister should co-ordinate "a proper humanitarian response" to the crisis. | |
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: |