Some posters are conflating the refugees coming across the Mediterranean with the people at Calais.

In the Mediterranean, the people being rescued by Italian and Irish ships (but oddly I haven't heard of any British?) are mostly from Syria and Libya, with some from Somalia and other African countries. They're almost all people fleeing wars, mostly the wars currently being caused by IS/ISIS/Daish.

In Calais, the people trying to get to Britain are mostly 'economic migrants' - which is to say people looking for work. As I understand it, it's easier to find work in Britain than elsewhere in Europe, perhaps because the black economy is less regulated there.

I can't understand the rage and contempt for people seeking work, but perhaps a lot of English people read the newspapers that are whipping up hatred against foreigners.