I am sure that most of you reading this article will have seen the heartbreaking image of the little boy washed up dead on the shores of Turkey. I could not help thinking of my own little boy, who is exactly the same age. The image brought home the harsh reality of the crisis in Syria. Decent ordinary people fleeing the horrors of the extremist Islamic regime, which has taken over large parts of Iraq and Syria.

The scale of this crisis is quite astounding, with estimates of up to 15 million people seeking to flee the country. Of course, our instinct is to offer refuge to these people but given the scale of the numbers it is simply impossible for us to accommodate everyone. That’s why I think the best solution is to provide help and shelter in refugee camps in Syria. I am heartened to see that the UK aid budget is being used effectively in this instance, with us providing more support than the rest of Europe put together.

But it is also right to demonstrate our openness to accept people in the worst situations. Throughout our history, from Jewish children fleeing Nazi Germany to Ugandan Asians fleeing Idi Amin, Britain has provided a home and shelter to those fleeing persecution and they in turn have enriched our society. The announcement that Britain will resettle up to 20,000 Syrian refugees is part of that proud tradition.

Underlying all of this is a much deeper problem. The rise of militant Islamic extremists poses a grave threat to our national security. ISIL, soaked in anti-semitism, homophobia and violence to women, is tearing the Middle East apart and threatens to export a wave of terrorists to our towns and cities. In the long term, I am convinced we cannot shy away from further direct military action to deal with this problem at the source.

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