Syrians fleeing to the UK are illegal immigrants not refugees, says MEP Janice Atkinson

The former Ukip MEP now sits with the far-right Front National in the European Parliament

Janice Atkinson was expelled by Ukip for bringing the party into disrepute over claims about inflated expenses (Chris Radburn/PA Wire)

Syrians fleeing the country’s civil war for the UK are illegal immigrants not refugees, a former Ukip MEP has said.

Janice Atkinson, who was expelled from the eurosceptic party over an expenses claim by her staff, appeared on stage with far-right French leader Marine Le Pen in Strasbourg.

“Despite what the human rights industry and the massed ranks of taxpayer-funded charities and lobby-groups repeat, this is not a refugee crisis but a massive crisis of illegal immigration which must be resisted for what it is,” the British MEP said.

“A man who leaves Syria may be a refugee at the start of the journey. When he is illegally living in Calais and illegally attempting to enter Britain, he is an economic migrant and an illegal immigrant.”

Ms Atkinson now sits as an independent MEP in the far-right European Parliament group Europe of Nations and Freedom.

The ENF group includes France’s Front National, Italy’s Northern League, and the Austrian Freedom Party.

Ms Atkinson said her views on immigration had not changed since she was a Ukip MEP.

She made the comments ahead of a speech by European Commission president Jean-Claude Junker, who announced a new refugee quota plan.

Under the proposal, 120,000 refugees would be distributed among EU nations with binding requirements for each country.

“It is true that Europe cannot house all the misery in the world. But we have to put it into perspective,” he said.

“This still represents just 0.11 per cent of the EU population. In Lebanon refugees represent 25 per cent of the population, which has just a fifth of the wealth of the EU. Who are we to never make such comparisons?”

Countries refusing to take refugees could face financial penalties from the European Union.

Yesterday Conservative MP Adam Holloway branded European countries, including Germany, "bonkers" for accepting large numbers of refugees.

This item has been amended to make clear that the expenses claim over which Ms Atkinson was expelled from Ukip, was made by a member of her staff, not her. We are glad to clarify matters. 10/9/15