A conservative push to resettle "persecuted" white South African farmers in Australia is gaining momentum with several MPs calling for a special humanitarian intake.

Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton has caused a diplomatic row with South Africa after declaring white farmers in the country were facing "horrific circumstances" and needed protection from a "civilised country".

While the issue has hit the national headlines this week, West Australian Liberals have been agitating behind the scenes for months and last year passed a motion at the party's state council calling on the Federal Government to "resettle persecuted European minorities" in South Africa and Zimbabwe.

WA Liberal Ian Goodenough, whose electorate is home to one of the largest South African expat communities, said Australia accepted thousands of extra refugees from Syria in a one-off special intake and should do the same for white farmers "fleeing persecution".

"Violence and suffering affects all people universally," he told the ABC.

"Given our close connections to the South African community, consideration should be given to providing a quota of places."

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Mr Goodenough — who has been lobbying his senior colleagues over the issue — argues white South African farmers would bring relevant skills to Australia and integrate well into the community.

"It certainly wouldn't hurt to allocate a number of places to people who fit in well and will contribute to the country," he said.

His West Australian colleague, Andrew Hastie, took to social media to declare he is "outraged" by the reports of violence against white farmers and posted an image of a flyer describing the group as the "persecuted minority nobody cares about".

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"They are being targeted in ... what appears to be an orchestrated terror campaign," it said.

But the push is not limited to WA.

Several Liberals have started a social media campaign, posting that same flyer, as well as graphic images of white farmers who have apparently been beaten.

Farm violence in South Africa is a racially charged and sensitive political issue, particularly given the Government's push to seize land from farmers without compensation.

Queensland Liberal MP Andrew Laming has been vocal on the topic, describing white farmers as "refugees", and claimed credit for this week's developments.

"Since I called out South African politicians for their do-nothing approach to vicious attacks on farmers, Peter Dutton has asked his [department] to monitor and consider our offshore humanitarian program," he posted.

The plight of South African farmers is also on Liberal Democrat Senator David Leyonhjelm's radar.

He has written to the Government urging it to respond to the "tragedy of farmers being forced off their land ... and the alarming rate of murder".

"We should investigate options for allowing South African farmers to enter Australia under the refugee program if they require sanctuary," he posted on Facebook.