N.L. looking to boost number of refugees by 60%, says Clyde Jackman

Newfoundland and Labrador is looking to boost the number of refugees it's allowed to take in by 60 per cent.

Minister Clyde Jackman said Thursday the province is currently in talks with the federal government to increase the number of refugees that it can accept.

Last year, the province took in around 170 refugees, Jackman said, and the increase it is seeking would bring in around 95 more.

"When I saw a woman with a child crawling out of a rubber dinghy, it just tugs at my heart," he said.

Jackman said the province is also in talks with the Association for New Canadians to figure out the best response, as well as what kind of funds government could contribute.

"We don't want it just to be a knee-jerk reaction, we want it to be a strategic investment so that we get the best that we can for our investment, but more importantly that everybody feels that they've played a role," said Jackman.

"It's a larger issue and it's short-term what people want to do right now, but also to look at the long-term and what it is that we can do."

Stepping up to the plate

At a news conference Wednesday, Premier Paul Davis said the province has some sort of partnership in the works, with details expected to be revealed within days.

"We are looking at a number of options, trying to determine how we can have the best impact," Davis said in Corner Brook. 

On Thursday, the Association for New Canadians held two public information sessions to educate people about the private sponsorship process, and how they can bring Syrians to this province.

The group says it has seen an outpouring of support and interest from people all over the province.

Eyad Sakkar, who is from Syria, lives and works in St. John's and attended one of the sessions.

Members of Sakkar's immediate family have been affected. 

Sakkar said it's a tangly process to bring his family here, but he's received "overwhelming" support.

"The amount of people who came forward to offer help; I got phone calls, text messages, emails through my website, Facebook, Twitter — it's overwhelming," Sakkar said.

"My sister, her husband and three kids are stuck in Saudi Arabia, and we're trying to bring them over here now. My parents are in Saudi Arabia right now, but are doing OK. But my sister and her kids need help."

'Firm commitments'

Jon Parsons, who is on the board of The Social Justice Co-operative of Newfoundland and Labrador, told CBC while it's heartening to see compassion from the public he wants to see government take action.

"There needs to be some kind of publicly-funded scheme to try and get people into our province and into our country," Parsons said.

"A number of provinces, I've been hearing, have been making firm commitments on refugee numbers, or on monies for refugees — and I would like to see our province do the same thing."

Jackman said other provinces have put specific dollar commitments toward helping refugees, but the government here wants to consult with the Association for New Canadians to determine the best approach.

"We are more than willing and want to work with the Association for New Canadians to find out the best way that we can make an investment, and we'll see what that dollar [amount] arrives at."

British Columbia Premier Christy Clark has committed her government to a $1-million fund to assist Syrian refugees. As well, Prince Edward Island said that it is prepared to accept an increase in refugees. 

Jon Parsons said Canada has had plenty of experience in assisting refugees.

"We've stepped up at times when it's been necessary, in the late '70s, the Vietnamese refugees, and in the late '90s with refugees from the Balkans conflict from Kosovo," he said.

"In those cases, we airlifted people. Military jets brought people physically to Canadian cities — so there's lots of things that we can do."