Church figures have joined the fight to stop a family of Pakistani Christians, who fled to Scotland to escape persecution from Islamic extremists, from being deported tomorrow.

Asad and Gullrukh Gul and their three young children were taken from their home in Glasgow to the controversial Dungavel Detention Centre in South Lanarkshire late last week and have since been transferred to the Yarl's Wood facility in Bedfordshire ahead of their deportation.

The family say they fled from Lahore almost a year ago after they were persecuted by Islamic fundamentalists because of their Christian faith. Mr Gul was targeted in Pakistan for printing Christian literature and accused of blasphemy, an offence which carries the death penalty. If he is returned to Pakistan and executed, his children, aged 18 months, three and five, will be put in the care of a Muslim family.

The family's supporters, including many senior figures from within the Church of Scotland, are making a last-ditch attempt to halt their deportation on Tuesday.

They say an important document which was not submitted with the family's original application to remain in the UK is now available and urge that it should be taken into consideration before any further action is taken.

Ministers and members of the Church of Scotland are lobbying the Home Secretary, Jacqui Smith, to intervene and bring a halt to the deportation proceedings.

Graeme Bell, the minister of Carnwadric Church in the community of Kennishead in the south of Glasgow, said life for Christians in Pakistan was becoming ever more dangerous because of the rise in Islamic extremism.

He said: "Christians are becoming increasingly vulnerable because it is such a militant Islam regime. We are trying to do everything we can to prevent them being deported.

"I have written to the Home Secretary and a lot of people are sending e-mails to the airline to ask that they will not take the family on as passengers.

"The family are hugely distressed; the children don't know where they are and are really disorientated and upset."

Another minister, Ian Galloway, who is convener of the Church of Scotland's influential Church and Society Council, urged a re-examination of the family's case.

The document he says should be considered is a supporting statement from Mrs Gul's sister, who successfully obtained asylum and now lives in London.

She had previously failed to provide a statement because of a misunderstanding.