Bob Geldof offers to take in four refugee families

AAP

4 Sep, 2015 08:15 PM2 mins to read

Sir Bob Geldof has offered to let four families stay in his home. Photo / Getty Images

Singer Bob Geldof has offered to immediately take in four families as he expressed disgust at the migrant and refugee crisis in Europe.

The aid campaigner said he would open the doors to his family home in Kent and his flat in London in a personal response to the shocking scenes on borders, beaches and railway stations.

"If there's a new economy then there needs to be a new politics and it's a failure of that new politics that's led to this disgrace, this absolute sickening disgrace," he said.

"I'm prepared - I'm lucky, I've a place in Kent and a flat in London - me and (partner) Jeanne would be prepared to take three families immediately in our place in Kent and a family in our flat in London, immediately, and put them up until such time as they can get going and get a purchase on their future."

Geldof told Ireland's RTE Radio: "I can't stand what is happening. I cannot stand what it does to us."

Geldof said the images of three-year-old Syrian Aylan Kurdi's body being washed up on a Turkish beach, and other distressing reports from borders and cities across Europe, were a source of shame.

"I look at it with profound shame and a monstrous betrayal of who we are and what we wish to be," he said.

"We are in a moment currently now that will be discussed and impacted on in 300 years time."

Geldof said he was in his home on Thursday night and could not grasp the depth of the crisis and the limited response from governments when he decided he should put his money where his mouth is.

"I've known, you've known, and everyone listening has known that the bollocks we talk about, our values, are complete nonsense," he said.

"Once it comes home to roost we deny those values, we betray ourselves, but those values are correct, and it happens time and time again.

"So we are better than this, we genuinely are....