For 250 years at least Britain was the go-to country for refugees from political and religious persecution.  Indeed, that is how my own forebears reached London, fleeing the regime of King Louis XIV. Now the country is becoming less generous and more little Englandish.  Here is what ought to be done to help the armies of Syrian refugees.

Up to 100,00 Syrian refugees should be allowed to enter Britain.  Each would be given an identity card (it’s about time Britain had the cards most other nation have).  The refugees would be told that they are welcome, but only until there is a resolution to the civil war.  Within 12 months of  a valid political peace agreement being signed ending the slaughter, all refugees would be expected to have returned home to help rebuild their country.  In this way political and religious objections would be overcome, and Britain would have done the decent thing and sheltered the desperate, hungry and homeless.  Temporarily.

This principle of a time limit could be used for all non-EU immigrants. Some would disappear into the woodwork, to be sure, but if identity cards this would be more difficult. There is land for this; the EU pays farmers not to farm it.  The practical problems of housing in a country with insufficient housing already were addressed with temporary buildings (pre-fabs) for bombed-out refugees during the Second World War.  If we could do that once during a war, we could do it twice.