THE SNP will call on David Cameron to accept refugees who have already travelled to Europe into the UK, saying their cries for help cannot be ignored.

Following intense political pressure, the Prime Minister announced on Friday the UK would resettle "thousands more" people. No details have yet been confirmed, but it is thought the plans will involve an expansion of a programme resettling refugees from camps in the countries bordering Syria.

The pledge came in the wake of the outcry following the shocking images published last week of the lifeless body of three-year-old Aylan Kurdi washed up on Turkish beach. His five-year-old brother Ghalib and his mother Rehan also died after their dinghy capsized while the family, who had fled Syria, tried to get to Greece.

The SNP will dedicate its entire opposition day debate to the refugee crisis on Wednesday to hold the UK government to account over its stance on issue.

Alex Salmond, the SNP's foreign affairs spokesman at Westminster, accused Cameron of trying to get away with doing "as little as he can get away with" and said the UK Government could not ignore refugees who have already arrived in Europe on the basis “they should not be here”.

He told the Sunday Herald: “They are here and they are crying for help and many of them have died trying to get here.

“Refusing to help them on that basis would be to introduce an impossible new criteria, which has not been applied in the past.

“No one argued, for instance that people should not have travelled out of Nazi Germany and that we should not help them if they did.”

Salmond also said the UK must fulfil its EU and international obligations and accept at least 10% of the refugees seeking asylum - with Scotland then accepting its share of that proportion - around 10%.

He added: “The UK government should agree to comply with international law on the right to seek asylum and we have a moral duty to participate in giving them that.

"David Cameron seems determined to do as little as he can get away with when he should be doing as much as humanity demands.”

Speaking to reporters at a meeting of G20 finance ministers in Turkey yesterday, Chancellor George Osborne said resettling refugees could only be one element of a wider plan to deal with the crisis. He said the problem had to be dealt with at source, - referring to Daesh terrorists and the "evil Assad regime".

"You need a comprehensive plan for a more stable, peaceful Syria - a huge challenge of course, but we can't just let that crisis fester. We have got to get engaged in that," he said.

His comments came as some senior Tories called on the Government to bring forward plans to extend RAF air strikes against Daesh into Syria.

SNP MEP Alyn Smith has today (SUN) called for a no-fly zone to be imposed on Syria, to protect civilians staying in the country from bombings.

Angus Robertson, the SNP's Westminster leader, accused the UK Government of taking a “lacklustre approach” which was out of touch with public opinion.

“The Prime Minister must outline the full details of whether the UK government will now offer asylum and protection to its fair share of refugees, and how he intends to work with other EU leaders to ensure multi-lateral action and a long-term solution to the crisis," he said.

Stuart McDonald MP, the SNP spokesman on immigration, asylum and border control called for the Prime Minister to be present at the debate.

He said: "MPs and people across the country will rightly expect the Prime Minister to attend and take personal responsibility for the government’s response to this crisis."

On Friday First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said Scotland should accept 1,000 refugees "as a starting point" as she spoke at an emergency summit in Edinburgh, which involved council leaders, religious groups, opposition politicians and charities.

A taskforce has now been set up to co-ordinate Scotland’s practical response to the crisis and yesterday it was announced it would be supported by £1 million of Scottish Government funding.

Sturgeon said: “This initial funding will ensure that the frontline organisations who will help refugees integrate into Scotland will have resources to carry out their work.

"We will consider what further support is required as the taskforce progresses its work.”

The taskforce has been welcomed by opposition parties. Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale said: “This week Scotland watched in horror at the tragedy unfolding across Europe, and then spoke with one voice to say that refugees are welcome.

"From Westminster to Holyrood to our council chambers that rare thing has broken out amongst politicians - consensus."

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie called on Cameron to come to the House of Commons tomorrow (MON) and set out what action the UK will take.

He said: "The refugees pouring into Europe are fleeing desperate circumstances in Syria and elsewhere. Leaving them to fend for themselves would be a betrayal of our values."