Britain should follow Donald Trump's lead and introduce 'extreme vetting' at the borders, Nigel Farage said today.

The former Ukip leader, a friend of the US President, defended the hugely controversial executive order that prevents anyone entering the US from seven Muslim majority countries for 90 days.

He said the US president is entitled to introduce the measures in a bid to crack down on any would-be jihadis entering the country.

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Britain should follow Donald Trump's lead and introduce 'extreme vetting' at the borders, Nigel Farage, pictured on BBC's Sunday Politics, said today

Mr Farage, nicknamed 'Mr Brexit' by Mr Trump, blamed the ban - which has been condemned by leaders around the world, including Theresa May - on Germany's open-door policy towards refugees fleeing conflict in the Middle East.

Asked whether he agreed with President Trump’s executive order, Mr Farage told BBC's Sunday Politics programme: ‘Well I do, because I think if you just look at what is happening in France and Germany – if you look at Mrs Merkel’s policy on this, which was to allow anybody virtually from anywhere – look where it’s led to.’

He added that President Trump was elected 'to get tough, he was elected to say he will do everything within his power to protect America from infiltration by Isis terrorists.

'Now there are seven countries on that list, he is entitled to do this, he was voted in on this.'

Mr Farage, who has previously called for Syrian refugees to be allowed into Britain, said he now agrees with Mr Trump's policy.

Mr Farage, pictured on BBC's Sunday Politics today, blamed Trump's ban - which has been condemned by leaders around the world, including Theresa May - on Germany's open-door policy towards refugees fleeing conflict in the Middle East

Donald Trump's planned state visit to the UK later this year must be cancelled in response to his hardline immigration crackdown, Jeremy Corbyn, pictured on ITV's Peston on Sunday, said after Theresa May, pictured attending church in Berkshire today, flew back from the US

He suggested German Chancellor Angela Merkel's open-door refugee policy has left Europe vulnerable to terrorism.

He said: 'I mean frankly since I made those comments we had the Merkel madness, and I think Trump's policy in many ways has been shaped by what Mrs Merkel did.

Nigel Farage, pictured at the BBC today, said the US president is entitled to introduce the measures in a bid to crack down on any would-be jihadis entering the country

'He is fully entitled to do this, and as far as we are concerned in this country, yes I would like to see extreme vetting.'

Mr Farage is alone in defending President Trump's travel ban on Muslims. Theresa May condemned the ban after facing a furious backlash for refusing three times to do so yesterday.

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has hit out at President Trump, saying it was 'divisive and wrong to stigmatise because of nationality'.

He promised to 'protect the rights and freedoms of UK nationals home and abroad' after the US ban triggered travel chaos for British travellers.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and Lib Dem leader Tim Farron have called for Mr Trump's planned state visit to the UK later this year to be cancelled.

More than 100,000 people have already signed a petition on the Government's website demanding President Trump be prevented from making a state visit.

The petition, which could be debated by MPs, says 'he should not be invited to make an official State Visit because it would cause embarrassment to Her Majesty the Queen'.

The Muslim Council of Britain said the details of the executive order exposed that it was not designed to tackle terrorism but to appeal to right-wing supporters of President Trump.

'Those countries whose citizens were found to be involved in terrorism in the United States are not on Mr Trump's list, he said.'

Terror hot-spots such as Afghanistan, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are not on the travel ban list.