UK should take its share of refugees, says Welsh Tory leader

Migrants arriving in Turkey

The UK should "take its share" of refugees from Syria, Welsh Conservative leader Andrew RT Davies has said.

He also argued Britain should be willing to engage in military action in Syria to "restore safety" there.

Ministers have raised the prospect of air strikes on so-called Islamic State extremists in Syria, but say this would only happen with the Commons' approval.

David Cameron has said the UK will fulfil its "moral responsibilities", as pressure mounts to take more refugees.

'Exploitative criminal gangs'

Writing on a party website, Mr Davies said the images of a drowned boy in the Turkish resort of Bodrum meant it was time to "confront very difficult decisions".

"When parents are willing to risk the lives of their families for the chance to get to safety, it's time to act," he wrote.

"We need to address this issue at source and take steps to stabilise Syria.

"The way to prevent Syrian refugees from making that treacherous crossing at the hands of exploitative criminal gangs isn't to place arbitrary limits on the number of refugees we can take; it's to restore safety to the country from which they flee in such numbers.

"If that ultimately includes military action - or 'boots on the ground' - then we must be willing to step up to the plate."

Andrew RT Davies says people 'genuinely seeking sanctuary' must be allowed to find it in the UK

Mr Davies added: "Ultimately, though, the United Kingdom must be willing to take its share - we have always done so in the past.

"In the 1970s, when Idi Amin ordered the ethnic cleansing of Indians in Uganda, Britain offered sanctuary to more than 27,000 refugees.

"In the 1980s, the UK became home to around 19,000 Vietnamese refugees who fled the country by boat and ship after the Vietnam War."

Meanwhile, Newport City Council has called for other local authorities to take a "greater share" of asylum seekers, saying it was reaching its limit.

The council said it was "extremely sympathetic" to the plight of Syrian refugees, but was "now close to its maximum quota" under government policy.