The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby (pictured) has said people are entitled to fear the impact that the influx of large numbers of migrants could have on their communities

Britain has a ‘genuine and justified’ fear of mass immigration, the Archbishop of Canterbury declared last night.

The country’s most senior churchman said it was ‘absolutely outrageous’ to dismiss the public’s legitimate concerns as racist.

Archbishop Justin Welby warned: ‘There is a genuine fear. And it is really important that that fear is listened to and addressed. There have to be resources put in place that address those fears.’

He added: ‘What happens about housing? What happens about jobs? What happens about access to health services?’

Campaign groups last night welcomed his powerful intervention as a ‘marvellous breath of fresh air’. It comes after years in which the liberal Left has attacked those expressing concern about the unprecedented levels of immigration into Britain as bigots.

Archbishop Welby also revealed that the Church would not be taking a position in the EU referendum debate.

He was highly critical of Europe’s response to the refugee crisis, but added: ‘You can’t say, “God says you must vote this way or that way”.’

On another dramatic day in the EU referendum contest:

David Cameron claimed the cost of mortgages, socks and gloves would increase and UK farmers would take a £330million hit if we quit the Brussels club;

But the man in charge of Norway’s £590billion sovereign wealth fund, the world’s biggest, declared that it would continue to invest major sums here regardless of referendum outcome;

The European Central Bank was forced into yet more dramatic moves to shore up the struggling Eurozone, including printing more money;

Michael Gove was likened to a traitor by a Tory grandee and friend of the Royal Family for allegedly leaking the Queen’s views on Brexit.

Mass immigration is fast becoming central to the debate, as concerns rise about the millions of migrants flooding into Europe.

Out campaigners have warned that, unless Britain votes to leave the EU, it can never regain control of its borders. Fears have also been raised about the added pressure which would be put on already stretched public services in the UK if more people are allowed to settle here.

In an interview with Parliament’s House magazine, Archbishop Welby said: ‘Fear is a valid emotion at a time of such colossal crisis. This is one of the greatest movements of people in human history. Just enormous. And to be anxious about that is very reasonable.

‘There is a tendency to say “those people are racist”, which is just outrageous, absolutely outrageous.

‘In fragile communities particularly – and I’ve worked in many areas with very fragile communities as a clergyman – there is a genuine fear: what happens about housing? What happens about jobs? What happens about access to health services?

The Most Rev Justin Welby said it was 'absolutely outrageous' to condemn people who raised such concerns as racist. Migrants are pictured moving out of their camp in Grand Synthe outside Dunkirk earlier this week

The Archbishop said it was essential that the 'genuine fear' that people felt was listened to and resources put in place to address their concerns. Migrants are pictured climbing in the back of a lorry in Calais last year

‘There have to be resources put in place that address those fears.

‘But we have demonstrated this enormous capacity to deal with things…It is simply a question of the scale on which we are prepared to act, in a way that spreads the load so it can be managed.’

The comments will be seen by some as a U-turn by the Archbishop himself. Two years ago, he said it was wrong to view immigration as ‘something that is somehow going to overwhelm’ Britain.

At the time, his remarks were seen as a slap down to Defence Secretary Michael Fallon, who had just said that some communities feel ‘swamped’.

In last night’s interview, Mr Welby appeared to condemn the EU’s response to the migrant crisis. He said: ‘The lack of a European solution is deepening the crisis very, very significantly.’

There is a genuine fear. And it is really important that that fear is listened to and addressed Archbishop Justin Welby

But he repeated his previous demands for Britain to take in more refugees. Mr Cameron has said the UK will take in 20,000 over the current Parliament.

He said: ‘We have to play our part. I was in Germany last weekend doing some work with some churches there. The Germans took 1.1million last year. And it does make 20,000 over several years sound very thin.’

He admitted, however, that we ‘have to be careful’, adding: ‘The Government is rightly concerned about effectively subsidising people smuggling.’

He said the EU debate ‘should be about what we fear’. He added: ‘Fear of what happens if we leave, fear of what happens if we stay…My hope and prayer is that we have a really visionary debate about what our country looks like.’

Last night former diplomat and founder of MigrationWatch Lord Green of Deddington welcomed the remarks on immigration.