SENIOR politicians are scrambling to offer their homes to desperate refugees fleeing war and persecution in Syria.
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Labour leadership contender Yvette Cooper and Scotland's first minister Nicola Sturgeon have joined thousands of Britons who say they would invite Syrians to live in their homes.
It comes after Bob Geldof, the Pope and Finland's Prime Minister, Juha Sipila, said they would open their doors in response to the increasingly distressing scenes being seen on beaches across Europe and on the borders.
Asked if she would join the ranks, Ms Cooper said: "If that is what it took and that is what was needed then of course, I think lots of people would be."
Ms Sturgeon, meanwhile, said she would "absolutely be happy" to.
She added: "I have actually been overwhelmed myself over the past few days with messages from people across Scotland saying that they personally would be happy to give a home temporarily or for a longer period of time to somebody fleeing Syria."
But she stressed it would be "part of a bigger wider, or organised approach".
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Green party leader, Natalie Bennet said: "I only live in a one bedroom flat so I don't think it would be suitable for long term.
"But if it is necessary, I would be happy to provide them with the living room floor which is the best I can do."
Ordinary people are currently leading the way in responding to the ongoing refugee crisis, with the organiser of one petition calling for volunteers saying she had received more than 2,000 offers in just three days.
Another online campaign asking landlords to open up properties had last night reached 158 confirmed offers.
Dr Zoe Fritz, a consultant at Cambridge University Hospital, set up her own database encouraging people to give up a bed to those fleeing war and persecution.
The mother-of-two said: "My heart has sung at the things people have written. It has been extraordinary the generosity people have had."
Her petition has attracted an outpouring of people wanting to help.
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Mary Quinn of Consett, in County Durham, wrote: "I have spare bedrooms and want to share my home with people who are desperate enough to leave their home behind."
The massive outpouring of public support came after the British Government was accused of not doing enough in the face of a massive humanitarian crisis.
The world was rocked by images of three-year-old Syrian Aylan Kurdi's lifeless body washed up on the shores of a Turkish beach.
Speaking after his customary address in Rome, Pope Francis called on every parish, religious community, monastery, and sanctuary in Europe to take in one migrant family.
He said the Vatican would set an example, with two of its parishes each taking in a family of refugees in the coming days.
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Pope Francis said that it was not enough to say "have courage, hang in there" to those marching towards what he described as "life's hope".
Rocker Geldof, meanwhile, hit out at the British Government's response to the crisis in a foul-mouthed tirade calling it a "f******* disgrace".
The Boomtown Rats front-end said he would open the doors of his family home in Kent and his flat in Europe to house refugees.
Prime Minister David Cameron is expected to today set out details of the Government's plans to let thousands of Syrian refugees into Britain.
His dramatic U-turn - to be detailed in the Commons as MP's return from a summer break - will see Britain take on refugees directly from the camps in the countries bordering Syria.
Ministers have refused to reveal how many refugees will be allowed into the UK - but some have speculated it could be as high as 10,000.
Source:- http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/603480/Refugee-migrant-crisis-Syria-politicians-offer-homes-war
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