In the Bible, Jesus is asked what is the greatest commandment and replies with two: love God and "love thy neighbour as thyself". Outspoken: Tony Abbott Credit:Screen grab: ABC News 24 Mr Abbott delivered the keynote address at the second annual Margaret Thatcher Lecture at London's historic, ornate Guildhall. The lecture, given in Thatcher's memory, accompanied a fundraising event for the Margaret Thatcher Centre, which aims to educate future generations about the late British leader's life, values and achievements. In his pre-dinner speech Mr Abbott said there had been "at least a hint of Thatcher" about his government, citing the stopping of refugee boats, the repeal of the carbon tax, budget repair, free trade agreements and "a readiness to call out Russia for the shooting down of a civilian airliner".

The last line won a round of "hear hear" and applause from the black-tie audience, which included Conservative worthies, MPs, lords and ministers such as Sir Mark Worthington (prime minister Thatcher's former private secretary), John Whittingdale (Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport), Priti Patel (Minister of State for Employment) and Iain Duncan Smith (Secretary of State for Work and Pensions). Tony Abbott, fifth from left, with his wife Margaret, second from right, at the Margaret Thatcher lecture in Britain. Credit:Nick Miller In the speech, Mr Abbott warned of the dangers of unchecked immigration. "All countries that say 'anyone who gets here can stay here' are now in peril, given the scale of the population movements that are starting to be seen. There are tens - perhaps hundreds - of millions of people, living in poverty and danger, who might readily seek to enter a Western country if the opportunity is there. Refugees continue to flood into Europe. Pictured: a woman aboard a European ship after being rescued in the Mediterranean. Credit:Kate Geraghty

"And who could blame them? Yet no country or continent can open its borders to all comers without fundamentally weakening itself. This is the risk that the countries of Europe now run through misguided altruism." Mr Abbott said he had been "loath to give public advice to other countries" while he was prime minister. But he said Australia was the only country that had successfully defeated people smuggling, and "our experience should be studied". "Our moral obligation is to receive people fleeing for their lives," he said. "It's not to provide permanent residency to anyone who would rather live in a prosperous Western country than their own. That's why the countries of Europe, while absolutely obliged to support the countries neighbouring the Syrian conflict, are more than entitled to control their own borders against those who are no longer fleeing a conflict but seeking a better life.

"This means turning boats around, for people coming by sea. It means denying entry at the border for people with no legal right to come; and it means establishing camps for people who currently have nowhere to go. "It will require some force; it will require massive logistics and expense; it will gnaw at our consciences - yet it is the only way to prevent a tide of humanity surging through Europe and quite possibly changing it forever." Mr Abbott also said it was "striking how little has been done" to address the problem of Daesh (Islamic State) at its source. "It can't be defeated without more effective local forces on the ground", he said. "As Margaret Thatcher so clearly understood over the Falklands, those who won't use decisive force where needed end up being dictated to by those who will.