Boris Johnson has denied the government plans to open its doors to more Ukrainian refugees - just a day after Priti Patel said one was being set up.
The prime minister also cast doubt on Home Office figures which said only 50 people fleeing the war in Ukraine had been given visas to live in the UK.
The government has already announced that Ukrainians in the UK will be able to bring family members from their home country.
In addition, British people and companies will be able to sponsor Ukrainian refugees.
But speaking to The Sun yesterday, the Home Secretary suggested the government was prepared to go further.
She said: “In response to the desperation I saw with my own eyes at the Polish border two days ago, I’m urgently escalating our response to the growing humanitarian crisis.
“I am now investigating the legal options to create a humanitarian route.
“This means anyone without ties to the UK fleeing the conflict in Ukraine will have a right to come to this nation.”
But the PM appeared to reject this idea while speaking during a visit to RAF Northolt, insisting the UK has “two very, very generous routes already” which could see “hundreds of thousands” of Ukrainians come to this country.
He said: “What we won’t do, let me be very clear, what we won’t do is have a system where people can come into the UK without any checks or any controls at all. I don’t think that is the right approach.
“But what we will do is have a system that is very, very generous as the situation in Ukraine deteriorates. People are going to want to see this country open our arms to people fleeing persecution.
“I think people who have spare rooms who want to receive people coming from Ukraine or want us to to have a system that enables them to do that, that is already happening. So so what we will do is have a very, very generous and an open approach. But what we won’t do is simply abandon controls altogether.”
On reports that the UK has only granted visas to around 50 Ukrainian refugees, Johnson said: “I’m not sure those numbers are right. But we’re processing thousands as I speak to you.”