Dr Phil McCarthy, head of Caritas Social Action Network, was commenting after a Syrian refugee, who has been brought to Britain from The Jungle in Calais, in a landmark case said he is "so thankful" to be in the UK.
The teenager, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, was allowed to enter Britain, along with three other refugees who will stay in Britain while their asylum applications are processed.
The teenager said conditions in "The Jungle" were so bad that it was "not fit for humans" and the 17-year-old urged the thousands of refugees waiting to leave the camp to "have faith".
Dr Phil McCarthy said that he agreed with the teenager's view The Jungle is "not fit for humans": "There's no way that those circumstances are fit for a decent human life, people are making the very best of it that they can but it really isn't a suitable place for anyone, let alone young people."
He said: "The camp itself is a fairly squalid place, a lot of settlements are old tents and shacks held together with black plastic. There's clearly limited access to water, limited access to sanitation and showers."
Listen to Premier's Hannah Tooley speak to Dr Phil McCarthy, head of Caritas Social Action Network here:
