Isabel Oakeshott: Let’s take as many Ukrainians as we can right now, but let’s set ground rules

In one week alone, more than a million refugees have already poured out of Ukraine. More than half have gone to Poland, with others heading to Hungary, Moldova, Slovakia and neighbouring countries.

It’s time for all of us to realise that this is just the start. The European Union thinks up to four million people may try to leave and has said it will welcome them with open arms. Ukraine has a population of over 40m – so it could be far more.

Boris Johnson has said we in the UK could take 200,000 people. That’s a good contribution. My question is, in the short term – and I mean short term - we could do more?

People in this country desperately want to help. They see people desperately trying to escape Putin’s crazed campaign to seize a sovereign nation. These people are fleeing for their lives as a madman destroys their country. We have a proud history of generosity in these situations.

In just a few short days, a Daily Mail refugee appeal has raised an extraordinary £3m. And people want to play their part. Many people – myself included – have spare rooms they would be willing to offer the most vulnerable people - mothers with young children - fleeing war – on a temporary basis.

But efforts like this need to be properly organised.

And this refugee crisis must not be allowed to spiral out of control, allowing millions of people to settle in the UK forever. Ministers have an appalling record of keeping track of who comes and goes. This crisis has all the makings of yet another such fiasco.

So let’s get a well thought out, well managed, and generous refugee welcome scheme up and running – but let’s be very clear about the parameters.

The government must get on top of this before, not after, hundreds of thousands of people seek asylum in the UK.

Let’s take as many people as we can, right now. Let everyone one of us who is willing and able to help, take part in this effort. But let’s set ground rules. Let’s be clear about how long the people we are helping are allowed to stay, and what we - as a country with creaking public services and an NHS on its knees - can realistically manage. Let’s provide short term visas, with a presumption that, when this awful conflict is over, those we have helped return to their home country, with the support they need, to rebuild their lives.