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Boris Johnson says UK can do more to help Syrian refugees as George Osborne blames Isis for death of refugee child Aylan Kurdi Aylan Kurdi: George Osborne claims Isis to blame for death of Syrian refugee child
(4 months later)
Boris Johnson has become the most senior Conservative figure yet to call on the UK to do more to alleviate the Syrian refugee crisis, as George Osborne insisted Isis was to blame for the death of the Syrian refugee child Aylan Kurdi. George Osborne has blamed the death of the Syrian refugee child Aylan Kurdi on Isis.
The Mayor of London said the capital will face up to its “moral responsibilities” to take in those fleeing persecution who are “plainly in fear for their lives,” insisting that there must be a distinction between refugees and economic migrants. The Chancellor was the first member of the Government to comment in public since pictures emerged of the three year-old's body washed up on a Turkish beach.
He also said it was time to “look harder” at the possibility of military intervention in Syria to “solve the problem at source”. It has led to thousands of people signing up to The Independent's campaign calling on the Government to take its fair share of Syrian refugees.
George Osborne finally broke the Government's silence - 24 hours after images of Aylan Kurdi's body washed up on a Turkish beach emerged Mr Johnson spoke as his Tory leadership rival Mr Osborne became the first member of the Government to comment in public since pictures emerged of Aylan Kurdi’s body washed up on a Turkish beach on Wednesday.  Mr Osborne said he was "very distressed" when he saw the pictures across the newspaper front pages this morning and hinted that the UK might increase the number of Syrians given sanctuary in the UK, saying: "We will go on taking people and keeping it under review."
Speaking after thousands of signed up to The Independent's campaign calling on the Government to take its fair share of Syrian refugees, Mr Osborne said he was “very distressed" when he saw the pictures across the newspaper front pages this morning and hinted that the UK might increase the number of Syrians given sanctuary in the UK. Speaking on Sky News, he said: "I was very distressed when I saw it myself this morning, of that poor boy lying dead on the beach.
More than 2,500 refugees have drowned trying to cross the Mediterranean so far this year as they flee the humanitarian crisis in Syria "I was very distressed when I saw it myself this morning, of that poor boy lying dead on the beach,” the Chancellor said.
"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."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 £1 billion of overseas aid in to help these desperate people."You have got to make sure the aid keeps coming - we have put £1 billion 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."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.
"Britain has been playing a leading role and it will continue to do so.""Britain has been playing a leading role and it will continue to do so."
Speaking minutes after Mr Osborne, Mr Johnson appeared to be calling on the Government to increase its intake of Syrian refugees offered sanctuary in the UK, which currently sits at just 216 since March last year. 
 "We should take people fleeing persecution and those plainly in fear for their lives. London will of course face up to its moral responsibilities," he said.
"But we must not become a magnet or pole of attraction for economic migrants.
"It is also time to look harder at what can be done in Syria to solve the problem at source. Of course intervention has not worked in Iraq or Libya. But no one could say that non-intervention was working in Syria."