Hundreds of you have contacted me recently about the refugee crisis in the Mediterranean. I am horrified by this situation. The thought of that little boy we all saw on the newspaper front pages dying in the most desperate circumstances breaks my heart.
This tragedy must make us more determined than ever to stop the gangs that are exploiting fear, peddling the promise of a better life in Europe and profiting from the deaths of children like Aylan Kurdi and his brother. It is a stark reminder of our moral duty not to do anything to encourage more people to make perilous journeys across the sea.
Britain has a proud tradition of welcoming asylum seekers and there should always be a home here for those in dire need. I welcome the Prime Minister's announcement that Britain will accept 20,000 more asylum seekers directly from camps around Syria. This offers a much safer route to the UK than the hazardous journey across the Mediterranean that has cost so many lives.
The UK has already committed over £1 billion in aid as a result of the war in Syria and it is right that we concentrate our efforts where they can do the most good. The majority of the 4 million refugees created by the conflict remain in the region - there are 1.9 million in Turkey and 1.1 million in Lebanon - preferring to stay near their home country in the hopes of one day returning. We must do all we can to help them where they are, so we don't create incentives for making the dangerous voyage to Europe and to improve prospects for stability when the military conflict ends.