This BBC story really highlights the differences between nations.

Germany has welcomed the refugees (mostly but not exclusively from Syria) with open arms; Austria too. Ordinary citizens went to the main railway station in Munich to welcome them, and to hand out clothes, children's toys, etc. to the new arrivals. The German government has said that it plans to accept 800,000 refugees (1% of Germany's population) this year, (meaning probably a similar number next year). Admittedly there are people against the migrants, but the nation is overall in favour.

By contrast, France has said that they would take 24,000 refugees; Britain has said that they will accept 20.000. I do not understand how these two nations (with similar populations and levels of wealth to Germany) can think that these numbers are enough, and that they are fair. It makes me ashamed to be British.

This refugee problem is likely to continue for years. The problems in Syria are not going to be resolved soon. Similar problems exist in Iraq (due in part to IS), Afghanistan , South Sudan, Yemen, Eritrea and many other countries. War, drought, famine and religious strife are part of the modern world, and are the fall-out of misguided aid and political intervention by western nations in the rest of the world, and also in part the effects of global warming. The causes will not recede any time soon, and the richer nations need to change their attitude and come up with systematic solutions to the problem of mass migrations.

Britain and France need to "put their money where their mouth is": time to join the world community rather than just heckling from the side-lines.