Abbott was delivering the Margaret Thatcher lecture at London's Guildhall, his first major speech after being ousted as Prime Minister.
"No country or continent can open its borders to all comers without fundamentally weakening itself," Abbott said.
"It will require some force, it will require massive logistics and expense; it will gnaw at our consciences," he said.
"Yet it is the only way to prevent a tide of humanity surging through Europe and quite possibly changing it forever," he said while stating that he was concernedthat "misguided altruism" was leading much of Europe into catastrophic error".
He said "too much mercy for some necessarily undermines justice for all".
Abbott also called for more to be done to counter the ideology behind extremist groups, such as Islamic State.
"It's a pity that the recent UN Leaders' week summit was solely about countering violent extremism and not abound not about dealing much more effectively with the caliphate that's now the most potent inspiration for it," he said.
Abbott while stressing the need for military action also acknowledged the lack of public appetite for escalating involvement in the Middle East.
Abbott praised his nation for being theonly country in the world that had successfully defeated the people smuggling model - not once but twice.
You’ve reached your limit of {{free_limit}} free articles this month.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
Already subscribed? Log in
Subscribe to read the full story →
Smart Quarterly
₹900
3 Months
₹300/Month
Smart Essential
₹2,700
1 Year
₹225/Month
Super Saver
₹3,900
2 Years
₹162/Month
Renews automatically, cancel anytime
Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans
Exclusive premium stories online
Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors


Complimentary Access to The New York Times
News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic
Business Standard Epaper
Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share


Curated Newsletters
Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox
Market Analysis & Investment Insights
In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor


Archives
Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997
Ad-free Reading
Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements


Seamless Access Across All Devices
Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app
