David Miliband has warned that Britain leaving the European Union will not solve the refugee crisis - and could make it worse.

The former Foreign Secretary, who is now president of the International Rescue Committee, rubbished claims that leaving the EU could help insulate Britain from the refugee crisis.

And he warned that exit could lead to a "very, very rocky period" for Britain.

Mr Miliband told the Press Association: "There is not a shred of logic in the argument that withdrawal from the EU pushes refugees further away.

"If anything, withdrawal from the EU will mean that our customs post in France at the moment will have to withdraw back to Dover.

"So those who are considering which way to vote in the forthcoming referendum need to be absolutely clear that we don't change geography by changing our relationship with the European Union.

"And actually, Britain is a big beneficiary from the EU not just a big contributor to it. And these big global problems need an effective European Union, and we are more likely to have an effective European Union if we are in the European Union.

"Outside, we don't get more control of our lives - we are more subject, frankly, to the global winds of change that could lead to a very, very rocky period for Britain.

"I think we gain security and stability from our membership of the European Union."

Mr Miliband made the comments after delivering a wide-ranging speech about the Syria conflict and refugee crisis at London's Chatham House.

He criticised the international response to it, and said European countries showed themselves "unable or unwilling to address the crisis before it became a real crisis on their own shores".

The result is that "Europe is now playing catch-up", he said.

Britain has donated more than £1 billion in aid to Syrian refugees so far - a far larger amount than most other European countries.

However, the Government has faced criticism for not taking in enough refugees, so far agreeing to take 20,000 over the next five years.

Commenting on Britain's response to the crisis, Mr Miliband said the Government "deserves credit" for its aid effort.

But he added: "I think Britain should do more in terms of refugee admission alongside the international aid we offer.

"As a compliment to the international effort that Britain is making, admitting more people here could be an important contribution to what has to be not just a European but frankly a global effort to cope with the fact that the Syria war is raging and the politics is getting worse not better."

His comments come ahead of a conference in London on Thursday where world leaders are expected to pledge billions of pounds in aid to Syrian refugees.

Mr Miliband said he thought there is a "real prospect" that "concrete commitments" on aid will emerge out of the gathering, but warned he thought peace talks in Geneva were an altogether trickier and longer process.

He said "I think the political track in Geneva looks like a very much longer shot and that is what makes me say that we have got to end the fiction that the war is about to end.

"This is a long-term problem that needs some long-term solutions."