A British medic working with European colleagues for Medicines Sans Frontieres in the Mediterranean was interviewed on Radio 5 this morning and said she was embarrassed to be English because the UK is so reluctant to except more than a handful of refugees.
This is in contrast to Germany where they are likely to accept 800,000 this year and in contrast to the 11,000 Icelanders who have offered homes to Syrian refugees.
David Cameron has said "We think that the most important thing is to bring peace and stability to that part of the world," Cameron told the BBC. "I don't think that there is an answer that can be achieved by taking more and more refugees."
It is certainly unclear what steps he is taking to bring peace to Syria - and it was not long ago that the only thing he was proposing sending in were some additional explosives in the shape of missiles - this to a Country not short on explosives.
Of the four million refugees who have fled Syria - the UK has only formally accepted 216 - no wonder the aid worker feels embarrassed - not that someone doing her work should feel embarrassed!
The UK has the ability and economic power to stage a multi-billion pound Olympic Games but suddenly appears unable to house a few thousand men women and children fleeing probable death in a war zone.
Of course this is all about politics - it is a political phobia connected to immigration and the UKIP voters. There can't be another explanation why one of the richest Countries in the world can't accept more than a handful of families from Syria.
This is about political will. If we wanted to we could house many more genuine refugees in such a way that they don't overburden local resources in already overstretched areas.
Mr Cameron cannot hide behind words uttered by him and others about 'swarming refugees' or even crueller words by fame hungry individuals talking about 'cockroaches'.
Most of the todays papers have featured to shocking photograph of three year old Aylan Kurdi - found drowned on a beach in Turkey. The crisis has been given a name and it is to the credit of most of the UK newspapers that they have covered that story.
Leading Conservatives are calling for the Prime Minister to accept more refugees. Others argue that taking in refugees will not address the main problem - but there are no obvious plans to address the main problem - that Syria is a dreadful war zone.
Perhaps the photograph of this innocent victim of the war in Syria will prove a turning point in public sentiment in the UK and the Prime Minister may find himself being seen not as a Leader on this important issue but as someone who has no answers or someone ignoring the will of the people.
Sometimes words are not enough and Countries will be judged like people - it is often what you do that counts - not what you say.