Rehman Chishti, the MP for Gillingham and Rainham, led the call for greater use of the multibillion-pound budget to help Christians as MPs debated the Bishop of Truro’s recent report on persecution overseas.
MPs also raised concerns over abuse targeted at them after they voted against same-sex marriage and abortion reform in Northern Ireland.
Speaking in the Commons, Mr Chishti said: “Greater use of our aid to persecuted Christian communities around the world is something we should seriously consider.”
He added: “As somebody who is a passionate supporter for international development aid, shouldn’t that now be targeted to support persecuted Christian communities around the world?”
This comes after a review into the Foreign Office’s response to persecuted Christians was released last week.
Tory former minister and Christian MP Andrew Selous raised an example of a Nigerian refugee camp where Christians were refused access to food because of their faith.
He said: “It is really important that Dfid, if it is involved in helping those refugees, makes sure that British aid is going to everyone who needs it regardless of their faith and that sort of discrimination is not allowed to happen.”
Former minister Sarah Newton said persecution against Christians is “primarily a phenomenon of the global poor”.
The Tory MP for Truro and Falmouth said: “To understand why the review…
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