There has been a reprieve for Coptic Christians in Australia who feared they would be deported to danger in Egypt.

Eighty Coptic Christians from 22 families had faced deportation, but Assistant Immigration Minister Alex Hawke has announced he will review all rejected protection claims lodged by Coptic Christians in Australia.

Mr Hawke said new information received in recent days highlighted the violence the Copts were facing in Egypt at the hands of Islamic State terrorists.

"The Government will carefully assess cases of Coptic Christians in Australia during this period of emergency in Egypt," he said.

"Copts in Australia will have an appropriate visa during this period to remain lawfully here."

He said each case would be assessed on its merits and those found not to be in genuine need of protection would be expected to leave Australia at an appropriate time in the future.

Mr Hawke said the Government would continue to work with the Coptic community, the local Coptic Church, the Australian embassy in Egypt and the Foreign Affairs Department to ensure immigration decisions reflect the current situation in Egypt.

The decision to allow the Copts to stay in Australia at least until it is safer in Egypt follows pressure from Federal Labor, the Australian Christian Lobby and the Coptic Bishop of Australia.

Melbourne Coptic leader, Bishop Anba Suriel, had spoken of the unprecedented attacks and acts of terrorism that Copts in Egypt now face regularly.

Islamic State claimed responsibility for an attack last week in which 29 Coptic Christians including children were killed by masked gunmen while they were travelling by bus to a monastery.

Federal Labor backbencher Peter Khalil — who is a Copt born in Egypt — told Parliament that attack was the most recent in a string of horrific attacks against Coptic Christians in Egypt by IS, including a suicide bombing in a Cairo church at Christmas that killed 29 people and two suicide bombings during Palm Sunday services that killed 46.

The Australian Christian Lobby had backed Bishop Suriel's call for the Coptic Christians to be given protection, saying they should be allowed to stay in Australia for as long as it is not safe for Christians in Egypt.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull sent his condolences to the Coptic Christian community in Australia after the most recent murders in Egypt.

"The loss of more followers of the Coptic Christian faith to terrorism is felt deeply by the rest of the Australian community. Australia stands united with the Coptic Christians in shared resolve to eradicate the scourge of terrorism," the Prime Minister said.