An image of drowned Syrian three-year-old Aylan Kurdi has seen the British government facing growing pressure to change both its rhetoric and its policy on the refugee crisis.
But for Ukip’s Nigel Farage, it appears that the picture which has sparked outrage around the world has changed nothing.
In a series of posts on Twitter on Thursday morning, Mr Farage said that the EU had made a “catastrophic error” allowing the free movement of people, adding: “They are not all from Syria.”
We must also establish who is a genuine refugee and to make sure they are not an extremist from Isis or other jihadi institutions.
— Nigel Farage (@Nigel_Farage) September 3, 2015
He said: “We must also establish who is a genuine refugee and to make sure they are not an extremist from Isis or other jihadi institutions.”
Other senior British politicians have called on David Cameron to act on his refusal to open Britain’s doors to the thousands fleeing war and persecution. On Wednesday, the leaders of every political party in Britain apart from Ukip called on the Prime Minister to sign the country up to accepting our “fair share” of refugees.
But Mr Cameron himself has suggested he feels the UK is doing enough as it is. A spokesperson for Downing Street refused to confirm whether or not the Prime Minister himself had seen the photos of Aylan, but said they were “clearly shocking”.
Aylan Kurdi (left) and his older brother, Ghalib, died when their dinghy sank off the coast of Turkey
“This is why we continue to be at the forefront of the international response to the humanitarian crisis in Syria – including as the second biggest bilateral donor of humanitarian aid, having already pledged £900m,” the spokesperson said.
More than four million refugees have fled Syria since the conflict started there in 2011, and Germany has said it expects to receive at least 800,000 asylum applications from all people of all countries in 2015. The refugee crisis - in pictures
Britain, Mr Cameron’s spokesperson said, has taken in “almost 5,000 Syrians” in the past four years. But just 216 refugees from the war-torn country have been accepted under the Government’s official relocation programme.
The Independent took the decision to publish the distressing pictures of Aylan to draw attention to the desperate situation facing many refugees. A petition has also been launched, and senior politicians and members of the public are making their voices heard.
