David Cameron: Taking in more refugees will not solve migration crisis

The European migration crisis will not be solved simply by Britain taking in more refugees, David Cameron has insisted.

The Prime Minister said the most important solution is to bring peace and stability to the Middle East and stressed the UK has taken a number of asylum seekers from Syria.

He was speaking after a spokesman for German chancellor Angela Merkel's CDU/CSU alliance said Britain's failure to accept more refugees could hurt Mr Cameron's plans to renegotiate the country's relationship with the European Union.

Labour leadership candidate Yvette Cooper has called for the UK to take in 10,000 more refugees, a stance backed by all of her rivals.

During a visit in Northamptonshire, Mr Cameron said: "We have taken a number of genuine asylum seekers from Syrian refugee camps and we keep that under review, but we think the most important thing is to try to bring peace and stability to that part of the world.

"I don't think there is an answer that can be achieved simply by taking more and more refugees."

Mr Cameron said Britain was focusing on stabilising and improving the countries where migrants and refugees come from and highlighted action the Government is taking to improve security at the French port of Calais.

He said: "We are taking action right across the board, helping countries from which these people are coming, stabilising them and trying to make sure there are worthwhile jobs and stronger economies there.

"We are obviously taking action at Calais and the Channel, there's more that we need to do and we are working together with our European partners as well. These are big challenges but we will meet them.