A Syrian refugee wearing a life jacket and armbands reacts moments after arriving on a dinghy on the Greek island of Lesbos, September 7, 2015. [Photo/Agencies]

LONDON - British Prime Minister David Cameron on Monday pledged to take in up to 20,000 refugees from camps in Syria over the next five years, responding to a growing public clamour for his government to help those fleeing civil war in the country.

"We are proposing that Britain should resettle up to 20,000 Syrian refuges over the rest of this parliament. In doing so, we will continue to show the world that this country is a country of extraordinary compassion," Cameron said in a statement to parliament.

The statement fleshed out a promise made by Cameron last week after a photograph of a Syrian toddler lying dead on a Turkish beach prompted an outpouring of empathy from Britons and put him under pressure to act.