Australians hold candlelit vigils for Syrians

BBC News

Thousands of Australians have held candlelit vigils for Syria as pressure mounts for Australia to offer to take in more refugees.

Australia has said it will take more Syrians, but stopped short of increasing its overall refugee intake.

Social media has taken up the push for a policy change, with people on Tuesday posting photos to #lightthedark.

More vigils will be held this week, which will also remember a Syrian child who drowned on the coast of Turkey.

An image of three-year-old Alan Kurdi lying face down on a beach has sparked an international outcry over the human cost of the European migrant crisis.

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An estimated 10,000 people attended the ceremony at Sydney's Hyde Park on Monday night, and thousands more in other cities.

They came ahead of an expected announcement on Tuesday from the Australian government authorising air strikes against the so-called Islamic State group in Syria.

Image copyrightAAP

Image captionKarez Najifar, 5, during a vigil at Melbourne's Treasury Gardens

Image copyrightGetty Images

Image captionAustralia has historically accepted immigrants from around the world

Members of Prime Minister Tony Abbott's own party, including several state premiers, have called for more to be done for people fleeing Syria.

A Kosovo-type solution has been discussed that would see Syrians and Iraqis housed in Australia, then returned home once the countries were safe.

The Federal Opposition has called for 10,000 additional places for refugees from the Middle East, with priority to be given to those from conflicts in Syria and Iraq.