'Save your crocodile tears, Lily': Pop star Allen faces backlash after breaking down as she apologised to migrant in Calais Jungle 'on behalf of my country for what we've put you through' 

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Singer Lily Allen faced a backlash today after breaking down in tears as she apologised ‘on behalf of my country’ to a refugee at the Jungle camp in Calais.

The 31-year-old became emotional while meeting with a boy aged 13 from Afghanistan, who has risked his life trying to board UK-bound lorries.

The teenager, who said his father lives in Birmingham, has been camped at the Jungle on the edge of the northern French port city for two months.

But Allen's comments led to her receiving abuse online - with viewers claiming her 'crocodile tears' and apology were 'ridiculous', and that she was 'so annoying'.

The singer later hit back by tweeting that she was only saying sorry to a 'helpless child for the part this country has played in contributing to his dire situation'. 

Emotional: Lily Allen broke down in tears at one point during a meeting in Calais with a 13-year-old boy from Afghanistan, who has risked his life trying to board UK-bound lorries

In the Jungle: On her visit, Allen (right, pictured with Josephine Naughton, co-founder of Help Refugees) volunteered in a warehouse where donations come in which are then distributed

Trying to get to Britain: The teenager, who says his father lives in Birmingham, has been camped at the Jungle on the edge of the northern French port city for two months

During her meeting with the boy, Allen told him: ‘It just seems that at three different intervals in this young boy’s life, the English in particular have put you in danger.

‘We’ve bombed your country, put you in the hands of the Taliban and now put you in danger of risking your life to get into our country.

‘I apologise on behalf of my country. I’m sorry for what we have put you through.’

Following the programme, Allen took to Twitter to complain that she was receiving a large amount of abuse for her comments and visit to the camp.

She tweeted: ‘Wow, so much abuse for apologising to a helpless child for the part this country has played in contributing to his dire situation.

‘A lot of people saying I should be more concerned about cases of migrants raping our own citizens. 

'I apologise': Allen told the boy that Britain has 'bombed your country, put you in the hands of the Taliban and now put you in danger of risking your life to get into our country'

Helping: Allen said she was sorry 'on behalf of my country' after visiting the refugees in Calais

Visit: Allen said the children 'have been displaced have had to run away from what they know'

Aid: Allen said it was 'a real situation', adding that it is 'happening closer to us than Glasgow'

‘I was talking about the 1,022 unaccompanied children in Calais, who are to be evicted next week.

Arriving: Allen is seen at the BBC Studios in London this morning for her TV appearance

‘I haven't heard any cases of children raping people here, I'd imagine they're far more likely to suffer at the hands of opportunist abusers.’

The backlash also saw her criticised as 'pampered, coiffured and irrelevant' and urged to 'speak for herself, not the nation - she represents nobody'.

But others supported her public stance on the issue, praising her 'compassion' and thanking her for 'showing more backbone than any politician will'. 

Allen wiped tears from her eyes at the end of her exchange with the boy in Calais, which was shown on the BBC’s Victoria Derbyshire programme.

She also asked the boy why he is trying to get on lorries to Britain, after she was told by volunteers at the camp that he has a legal right to be in the UK.

He replied: 'The legal process is very slow, you wait for at least three or four months. It's too slow. The way I am trying works better.' 

On Allen's visit, she volunteered in a warehouse where donations come in which are then distributed to the estimated 10,000 migrants and refugees living at the camp.

She also visited a bus for women and children where she heard stories of some of the desperate measures people living there have gone to to try to reach Britain. 

Allen said: ‘It would seem to me that there are people who have been driven very far away from what they know and love, stability and comfort.

‘I don’t think anyone would choose to live in the Jungle. No-one would choose that.’ 

Allen said she frequently ‘sits next to millionaires at dinner’, and that she would like to be able to ask them to ‘put their hands in their pocket’.

The singer tweeted pictures earlier this year after going to a party attended by guests including Rupert Murdoch and Nigel Farage.

Hitting back: Following the programme, Allen took to Twitter to complain that she was receiving a large amount of abuse for her comments and visit to the camp

Unimpressed: Allen received a torrent of abuse on Twitter from viewers unhappy that she 'thinks she represents other people' and claiming she was 'annoying' and being 'ridiculous'

Allen also told the show: 'If you're going to spends hundreds and hundreds of millions of pounds on getting involved in conflicts in these areas, there has to be some kind of contingency fund for the fallout.

‘These children have been displaced have had to run away from what they know - we have to take the responsibility.'

The singer added that she would ‘100 per cent’ take an unaccompanied child into her home, adding: 'Who wouldn't?'

She continued: ‘These children are being displaced - (if) there's room for people in my house, I'm going to take them in. I think anyone would.  

Concern: Allen (pictured outside the BBC Studios in London today) told the programme that she would ‘100 per cent’ take an unaccompanied child into her home, adding: 'Who wouldn't?'

Hopes: Allen, pictured on the Victoria Derbyshire programme today with Ms Naughton, visited a bus for women and children where she heard stories of some of the people living there

At the camp: Allen said she frequently ‘sits next to millionaires at dinner’, and that she would like to be able to ask them to ‘put their hands in their pocket’

Huge issue: There are more than 10,000 migrants in the Calais and Dunkirk area who want to get to Britain to claim asylum

‘The idea of my children wandering around aimlessly without anywhere to go… It is a real situation, it’s happening closer to us than Glasgow.'

French president Francois Hollande has said that the camp will close before winter, with its inhabitants dispersed around the country.

It has become a symbol of his government’s failure to tackle Europe’s migrant crisis and a target of criticism from conservative and far-right rivals seeking to unseat him.

Homelessness charity Emmaus has called for the closure to be postponed because it says ‘all conditions are not met for an efficient humanitarian operation to take place’.

The head of Secours Catholique in the Calais area, Vincent de Coninck, is adamant the port city will remain a transit point to Britain.

There are more than 10,000 migrants in the Calais and Dunkirk area who want to get to Britain to claim asylum. 

The camp has become a symbol of the French government’s failure to tackle Europe’s migrant crisis - and it is expected will close before winter, with its inhabitants dispersed around France

Uncertain future: French authorities are preparing to raze the Jungle camp (pictured today)

Set to be razed: The French are planning to move thousands of migrants to shelters nationwide

A man walks past a tent spray-painted with the words 'Please do not destroy the Jungle'

Moving: A Kurdish Iraqi family prepares to board a bus to leave the Jungle camp in Calais

Many make their way to the side of the A16, day and night, where they take great risks trying to board vehicles. 

Allen is the latest in a line of Left-wing figures including actor Jude Law and Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn to visit the Jungle to witness the conditions.

Law was one of 145 luvvies, including Stephen Fry and Colin Firth, to put his name to a letter in February demanding that the then prime minister David Cameron let the hundreds of children living in the camp to come to Britain.

Other signatories of the letter at the time were actress Helena Bonham Carter, Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker and actors Idris Elba and Steve Coogan.

Allen's trip was organised by the humanitarian charity Help Refugees, which also arranges for the emergency aid to be distributed at the camp in Calais. 

A Sudanese man puts his hand on a tent painted with the Union Jack at the Jungle camp

Also making the trip: Allen is the latest in a line of Left-wing figures including actor Jude Law (pictured at the Jungle in February) to visit the camp to see the conditions for themselves

Taking a look: Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn also visited the Jungle earlier this year in January

Josie Naughton, the charity's co-founder, told MailOnline today: ‘Lily’s visit highlighted the desperate plight of these children.

‘We need to make sure all 1,022 unaccompanied children are protected before the demolition and that those with a legal right to be in the UK under the Alf Dubs amendment or Dublin III are brought to safety as soon as possible.’

The Dubs Amendment refers to an amendment to the Immigration Act, originally put forward by Lord Dubs, requiring the Government to arrange for the transfer to Britain and support of unaccompanied refugee children from Europe.

And the Dublin III regulation is a European Union rule which means children have the right to come to Britain because of their close family links in the country.

Allen was one of the first popstars to make it big through social media and rose to fame in 2006 with her first major single Smile and debut album Alright, Still.