Chief Rabbi: Plight of refugees ‘our problem’

The Chief Rabbi has called for a "compassionate and responsible response" to the EU’s migration crisis.

“My heart is broken,” Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis told Today of his reaction to the photograph of three-year-old Aylan Kurdi lying face-down on a Turkish beach.

Rabbi Mirvis met Pope Francis on Thursday to discuss the crisis.

“The Pope said: ‘We all share this world together, therefore we need to care for this world together,’” recounted the rabbi.

"We need to recognise that the plight of the refugees is not only their problem, it's also our problem, these are real people.”

"That's why the first thought that crossed my mind when I saw the picture was, God forbid, it could have been a child of mine, a child of yours, anybody's child.

"These are real people, this is a deep and tragic humanitarian crisis and we need to provide a compassionate and responsible response."