Saskatchewan commits additional $150,000 to refugee crisis

Premier Brad Wall said Saskatchewan will do its part to help ease the refugee crisis unfolding in Europe. 

"[The crisis has] obviously galvanized the country and so it should. Not just the individual images we'll all never, ever forget. But the ongoing nature of this issue and the fact that there's no real end in sight," Wall said.

He announced a $150,000 fund for refugee resettlement in Saskatchewan, in addition to the funding it provides annually to community-based organizations. 

While the exact details of how those funds will be used have not been defined, Wall indicated discussions are ongoing with resettlement organizations, such as the Regina Open Door Society.

Premier Wall also said other requests to the federal government are in the works, such as increasing the intake of refugees this year. 

"Over a month ago, I indicated to the federal government that we wished to able to take more, increase the refugee intake by 15 per cent," Wall said. "I think that is also under review."

That proposed 15 per cent increase would affect government-sponsored refugees; bringing the number to 400 refugees in Saskatchewan annually. 

Saskatchewan is operating under a projected $292 million dollar deficit for the year. Wall said the budget is tight but asked, "is it ever so tight that we can't do whatever we can do help something as urgent as this?"