Jeremy Corbyn working with European socialist leaders to solve the refugee crisis

The Labour Party leader says he is working with other socialist parties across the continent to agree on a plan

Jeremy Corbyn is working with socialist leaders across Europe to devise a co-ordinated reponse to solve the growing refugee crisis.

The Labour leader said he was in discussion with socialist parties across the continent to come up with a "humanitarian response" and called for the UK Government to commit to taking in more refugees than it currently does.

"Some European countries have taken in a very large number of refugees. Some have done nothing at all," Mr Corbyn told the Independent.

“We have to [bring in more refugees] as a country, with other European countries. I have been working with other socialist parties, and socialist party leaders, from across Europe to agree a statement on what we would all do in our own countries, and we’re working on that now.”

Corbyn also criticised the British government’s efforts to tackle the crisis, saying it had “set itself a very low bar, which it’s not even reaching”.

“I think we are a big country; we have to reach out and help refugees. And I tell you this; the majority of the British people want that as well, because they see desperate people," he said. “But also, look at those desperate people. They’re farmers, they’re doctors, they’re engineers, they’re nurses. They’re all kinds of different people. But it’s also of course bringing about a political solution at the source.”

Former Labour Cabinet member David Miliband joined the Labour frontman in suggesting the country needs to increase its intake of refugees, proposing it be increased to as much as 25,000 people a year.

Last year the government agreed on a pledge of housing 20,000 people fleeing Syria by 2020. The suggested increase would quadruple that pledge.

"We are a leader, the UK is a leader, through the Department for International Development, on global humanitarian help,” the former Foreign Secretary told Sky News’ Dermot Murnaghan.

“But we can also make a greater contribution beyond the six refugees per parliamentary constituency.

"Frankly, the UK should be saying we will take 20,000 or 25,000 a year, so four times the current level, 25 refugees per parliamentary constituency rather than just six because countries like Canada are already doing that."

Both calls come ahead of the UN Summit for Refuges and Migrants, which takes place at its headquarters in New York this week.

This is the first time the UN General Assembly has called for a formal meeting on migration which includes governments and heads of state.

Miliband added there is “quite a lot of scope” for Prime Minister Theresa May to approach the summit with an attitude that will continue the country's "really good record" on international aid.