“Mr Cameron’s policy inadvertently discriminates against the very Christian communities most victimised by the inhuman butchers of the so-called Islamic State.
"Christians are not to be found in the UN camps, because they have been attacked and targeted by Islamists and driven from them. They are seeking refuge in private homes, church buildings and with neighbours and family.”
A coalition of faith groups from 14 organisations has issued a statement accusing the US and UK governments of ignoring the plight of Christians and other ethnic minority groups by effectively failing to discriminate positively in their favour.
The group is backing attempts to evacuate Christians from Syria through Operation Safe Havens. The operation, led by the Christian charity the Barnabas Fund, has so far succeeded in smuggling 42 Christian families out of Damascus to Poland via Beirut.
The groups wants a much greater effort to be made by western governments to help them airlift more Christians out of Syria in coming weeks and months.
The coalition of groups said; “Many governments, including the US and UK, have proved unwilling to make provision for endangered religious minorities to be evacuated, despite private individuals, charities and churches offering to cover the costs of the resettlement.
“Government plans, including those of the UK, to accept refugees from UN camps in Syria will not address the problem, because Christians, and other minorities do not dare to live in those camps.”
Rev Godfrey Yogarajah, director of the Religious Liberty Commission of the World Evangelical Alliance and which signed up to faith group coalition, said: “Minority religious groups, including Christians, find themselves between an anvil and a hammer.
"They are under immediate threat to their lives where they are. The refugee camps are not seen as places of safety...”