Migrants crisis sparks fierce debate among MPs in Bradford district

A petition calling on the UK to "accept more asylum seekers and increase support for refugee migrants in the UK" has gathered more than the 100,000 signatures needed for parliament to consider the topic for debate.

But Prime Minister David Cameron said taking more people was not the answer - but the petition says the UK "is not offering proportional asylum in comparison with European counterparts."

The migrants crisis has affected numerous areas across Europe this summer, with the main railway station in the Hungarian capital, Budapest, opening its doors to hundreds of migrants after a two-day stand-off yesterday.

Meanwhile, heartbreaking pictures have emerged of three-year-old Syrian boy Aylan Kurdi found dead, washed up on a beach in Turkey. He had been on a packed dinghy bound for the Greek island of Kos when it sank.

Shipley MP Philip Davies (Con) said the UK cannot cope with accepting any more immigrants.

He said: "Anyone who is not moved by the pictures of the young boy on the beach would be completely heartless.

"Once they got into the EU, there is no justification for them to come to the UK. They should seek asylum to the first country they come to.

"Us, the UK, would not have saved that young boy's life. Using that as a reason why we should take more refugees would not have made a difference to him.

"It does not make migrants any more safe them coming to the UK.

"We already can't cope with 300,000 net immigration in this country each year.

"We should not encourage more people to risk their lives across the Mediterranean."

But Bradford South MP Judith Cummins (Lab) disagreed with Mr Davies and called on the UK to take action on the crisis immediately.

She said: "We're faced with one of the worst humanitarian crises since the Second World War, with millions of Syrians desperately fleeing their war-torn country.

"The image yesterday of that poor boy's body washed up on the beach in Turkey will be forever burnt into my memory. This wasn’t an asylum seeker, a refugee, an immigrant, he was just an innocent young boy, caught up in unimaginable circumstances.

“The UK has a long and proud tradition of providing safe haven to those who genuinely need our protection. We need to act and act now"

Bradford East MP Imran Hussain (Lab) said: "I support the call for more refugees being allowed in the country.

"I think its shocking the way for this Government to have behaved in this manor.

"What we are talking about is a real humanity situation. We are talking about people. Nobody gets on to a boat that they have a 90 per cent chance they could be drowned."

Bradford West MP Naz Shah has called on David Cameron to take moral leadership and responsibility on the Syrian refugee crisis by working with our European partners and taking our fair share of refugees into the UK.

She said: “It is only right that we support vulnerable people and refugees.

“Indeed this is the history of Bradford, our nation and our values.

“Bradford is already home to a large Syrian community and we are also proudly a City of Sanctuary, and I’m pleased our council leader has already spoken up and shown leadership on this issue.

“Why the Prime Minister is hesitant in this grave crisis is deeply worrying. We have all been left deeply upset by the tragic image of a small boy drowned and washed up on a Turkish beach – are we really going to continue to be a country that walks by on the other side of the road and does nothing?”

Meanwhile, Bradford Council leader David Green says Bradford has a history of welcoming refugees.

He said: "I am proud to say that we are one of the few cities in the UK that are already working with Syrian refugees and we have given shelter to many already over the past couple of years.

“I hosted a reception for the first group to have settled in Bradford last year.

“Since then we have offered hospitality to many more fleeing the war in Syria and I can assure you that we will continue with this policy in the weeks and months to come.”

Councillor Kath Pinnock (Lib Dem, Cleckheaton), Local Government Association (LGA) vice-president, has written to the body on the refugees crisis.

She said: "I think we all have a responsibility to put pressure on the Government to accept refugees from Syria and other war torn states.

"One action we can take as Local Government is to shame the Government by offering to house refugee families. The Government must also play its part in providing funding for such a scheme."

Cllr David Simmonds CBE, chairman of the Local Government Association’s Asylum, Migration and Refugee Task Group, said: "No-one can fail to have been affected by the tragic scenes.

"Councils across the country are playing their part and local government has an excellent track record in supporting refugee children and their families.

"Any support offered by councils must be on a voluntary basis where support can be adequately provided.

“However, central government has to recognise that any costs associated with this international problem must be fully met by Whitehall.”