CHIPPENHAM MP Michelle Donelan has written to the Prime Minister regarding the current refugee crisis after receiving hundreds of emails from concerned constituents.

The Conservative MP, who was elected in May, said she believes it was the country’s “moral imperative” to accept more refugees into the safety of the UK.

Miss Donelan also urged David Cameron to focus UK aid on those in most desperate need including familes with young children, those in need of medical attention and those at greatest risk of harm in their own country.

On her website she wrote: “We have all been deeply moved by the horrific and tragic images of the plight of the migrants seeking to flee their own countries and get into Europe.

“This was most stark with the front page image of three year old Alan Kurdi who drowned after the boat he and his family were on capsized shortly after leaving Kos in Greece.

“The images are truly shocking and extremely upsetting.”

The Chippenham MP went on to suggest that the UK must “clearly distinguish between economic migrants and genuine refugees” saying they should be treated separately.

She added: “There clearly needs to be a far more comprehensive response from European nations, and if we are to stop the flow, we must adopt the right approach.

“We cannot do anything which encourages more people to make these perilous journeys – or which makes it easier for the gangs responsible for their misery.

“There needs to be a long-term solution to these very complicated problems and simply accepting more and more migrants into the UK will not solve the root of the problem.

“An immediate response that exacerbates the situation may be counter-productive and will probably create further problems down the line.”

Speaking during a visit to Portugal, Mr Cameron announced today that Britain will take "thousands more" refugees from camps on the borders of war-torn Syria. He said he would set out details of the plans next week.

The PM said that Britain was already "providing sanctuary" to around 5,000 refugees from the camps, and had provided around £900 million in aid - more than any other European country.

He said Britain had a "moral responsibility" to help refugees. But he gave no indication that the UK would be willing to resettle any of the hundreds of thousands of desperate people who have made perilous Mediterranean crossings by boat to reach Europe over the past few months.

Mr Cameron said: "We have already accepted around 5,000 Syrians, and we've introduced a specific resettlement scheme alongside those we already have to help those Syrian refugees particularly at risk.

"As I said earlier this week, we will accept thousands more under these existing schemes, and we keep them under review. Given the scale of the crisis and the suffering of people, today I can announce that we will do more, providing resettlement for thousands more Syrian refugees.

"We will continue with our approach of taking them from the refugee camps. This provides them with a more direct and safe route to the United Kingdom, rather than risking the hazardous journey which has tragically cost so many their lives."

Mr Cameron said details of the scheme would be announced next week, after discussions with NGOs and other partners, and Britain would act with "our head and our heart".

The migration crisis was "the biggest challenge facing countries across Europe today", he said. Among more than 220,000 people detected crossing the Mediterranean were individuals "from different countries under different circumstances", including many Syrians fleeing the conflict in that country.

The PM said: "Britain has a moral responsibility to help refugees, as we have done throughout our history. We are already providing sanctuary and will continue to do so.

"As the second-largest bilateral donor to the crisis, we have provided over £900 million in aid to help those affected in Syria and the region. We have funded shelter, food, water, vital medical supplies for millions of desperate refugees fleeing the conflict and helping them survive in the countries around Syria, like Jordan and Lebanon.

"No European country has done more than Britain in this regard. Were it not for that massive aid, the numbers making the perilous journey to Europe today would be even higher."

He added: "Britain will continue to work with partners to tackle the conflict in Syria, to provide support to the region, to go after the smuggling gangs exploiting these people and we will continue to save lives at sea," he said.

"HMS Enterprise remains in the Mediterranean alongside the border force cutters, and together with HMS Bulwark they have now rescued more than 6,700 people.

"Britain will act with our head and our heart, providing refuge to those in need while working on long term-solutions to this crisis. As I said earlier in the week, this means bringing to an end the conflicts that are driving so many to flee - including the bloodbath that has engulfed Syria."