Gary Lineker had the best reaction to a Tory MP telling him to put up 'illegal immigrants' in his home

People are praising Gary Lineker's response to a Tory MP who suggested he should house "the next boat of illegal immigrants" after he criticised the government's stance on immigration.

Lineker shared a Guardian report that Boris Johnson hopes to make it harder for asylum seekers crossing the English Channel to remain in the UK, commenting that not everyone is so "heartless and completely without empathy".

In response, Ashfield MP Lee Anderson accused Lineker of "virtue signalling" and suggested he should house "the next boat of illegal immigrants".

Appearing on talkRADIO, he said:

If Gary Lineker wants to email me his full name, address, postcode and details of the accommodation that he currently resides in, I will make sure that's available for the next boat of illegal immigrants to come and live in – bed and breakfast of course.

It's the liberal left again, virtue signalling, trying to say all the right things, trying to tweet out the right messages on social media to look popular. But I'll tell you what, it's not popular, because the silent majority in this country are right behind the common sense group.

But shortly after this interview, it looks like Lineker acted on his concern. Without referencing the Tory MP's remarks directly, the former footballer shared a screenshot that suggests he has volunteered to host a guest through the charity Refugees at Home.

It's important to note that there is nothing illegal about being an asylum seeker and that claiming asylum is a right enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

It is thought that a proportion of the people crossing the English Channel in boats intend to seek asylum in the UK so the blanket description of "boat of illegal immigrants" might not even be accurate.

People praised Lineker for backing up his calls for compassion with action.

While plenty of trolls continued to criticise Lineker for showing empathy for asylum seekers, they can't exactly accuse him of "virtue signalling".

Lineker hasn't yet updated his followers on the progress of his application to house a refugee, but we'll let you know if he does.