A debate on GB News became heated today as host Ben Leo asked why the UK has become "the final destination" for asylum seekers.
The new government has not yet put forward any proposals for new safe and legal routes for refugees, and is focusing on creating the UK Border Security Command to target people-smugglers.
The weekend saw a tragic loss of life in the Channel, with eight people dying as more than 1,000 migrants made the perilous crossing. A Home Office spokesperson said: "We all want to end dangerous small boat crossings, which threaten lives and undermine our border security."
The government's renewed focus on tackling smuggling gangs comes amid debate over the UK's capacity to accept refugees. Dr Chris Candia, speaking on GB News, claimed that the UK should aim for a more balanced approach.
He said that the UK needs to have "compassion and control"
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He said: "We don't need to provide safety to everybody that's seeking asylum, but we can provide safety to some."
He explained: "We need to have what I would describe as compassion and control. We can have strong borders, we can go after the criminal gangs. I think it is appropriate for us to offer sanctuary to some people that need it.
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"Normally it will be people who have a family connection here. The safe and legal routes will help to stop the boats crossing the channel where we're seeing too many people die. For example, in Ukraine nobody got on a small boat to come to the UK.
"They were able to apply for a visa in their country, escape the war, get on a plane and arrive safely in the United Kingdom."
Content lead at Migration Central Charlie Downs responded: "The UK government spends billions of pounds every year about the budget of about £4 billion on its asylum system.
"If times were better, if the economy was doing better, if ordinary people were doing better, then I would be saying that perhaps we should be thinking about opening up more safe and legal routes.
Small boat crossing intercepted by Border ForcePA"Any sensible and self-respecting first world country does feel a certain sense of duty to help those less fortunate than ourselves.
"The fact of the matter is, the UK is not in a position to do that right now. We are in a very bad place economically, socially, culturally, politically, and I don't think we can really offer that. I don't think we're a safe country.
"I think that's what it ultimately comes down to. I don't think we're a safe country for refugees to be settled in, because we can't even protect our own children from being stabbed by criminals who shouldn't be here in the first place."
Ben countered: "There are some people who argue that we shouldn't have even been taking refugees from there [Ukraine] either.
Ben Leo asked why the UK is the "final destination"
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"The population of the UK is 70 million. We're a tiny island. When you compare it to the likes of, say, Australia, a population of 26 million, and it's about how big is it compared to the UK? About 32 times bigger.
"There just isn't simply the space. Why is it the UK? Who need"s to act as the the you know, the final destination for the world's needy when we've got so many of our own problems?"
The government's new approach includes a £75 million boost for border security officers and technology.
This funding, redirected from the scrapped Rwanda deportation plan, will enhance the Home Office's Border Security Command.
