Australian Treasurer Scott Morrison believes that after the recent Paris attacks, the government should emphasise on inviting Christians in the nation under the Syrian refugee influx program.

Former Prime Minister Tony Abbott announced taking in 12,000 extra refugees from Syria when his party members asked him to make Christians a priority. However, the Department of Immigration clearly said that there would be no partiality in the refugee intake based on religion. Syrian Refugee Resettlement Task Force’s Peter Vardos recently told the ABC that no exceptional attention will be given to the refugees with Christianity as religion.

“There is no selection based purely on religion, as has been suggested in some quarters,” Vardos said during his tour to Syrian refugee camp in Jordan. He added that it is a non-partial process, and it will be found after the completion of the intake process that people have entered Australia, irrespective of all ethnicities and religions.

Contrary to Vardos’ statement, however, Morrison told Macquarie Radio on Tuesday that the government was focusing on “persecuted minorities,” which include Christians. Immigration Minister Peter Dutton’s spokesperson agreed with Morrison’s comments and said that the treasurer’s statement was “in line with the government’s focus.”

“The government has announced its priorities and made it clear that we are going to focus on those who are most vulnerable, i.e. women, children and families with the least prospect of ever returning safely to their homes,” he said.

The comment from Morrison came after 25 American states refused to take in refugees but said they would make an exception for Christians. U.S. Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush said that the nation should be lenient when it comes to taking in women and Christians fleeing from the Syrian conflict.

During a South Carolina campaign, Bush stated that the U.S. should have a soft corner for orphans or people who would surely not become terrorists in the future, including Christians.

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