Where and when? Sask. still waiting for details on refugees

Saskatchewan officials are still waiting for details on where, when and how many refugees, who have fled Syria, will arrive in the province.

Jeremy Harrison, the provincial minister for immigration, said Friday that Saskatchewan has been planning for the arrival of 850 people.

He recently met with federal ministers to learn more, but said he did not get many firm details.

"In fairness to the new government in Ottawa I know they are working very hard on this and working through some challenging issues in terms of exit visas," Harrison said.

He said it is difficult to make plans, without knowing the specifics of how many people there are and where they will be going. 

"It's a challenge in Regina or Saskatoon to have housing for a family of five," Harrison said, noting that the basic social assistance available for a family of five is about $750 per month.

He said he asked his federal counterparts if there would be financial support for such things as housing and language training, but he did not come away from the meetings with a clear indication on how that would work.

"It's a bit frustrating," Harrison said, noting that local governments and organizations that provide resettlement support are also seeking clarity about what is going on.

One priority, he said, is language training.

"We need to have a real focus put on to ESL," Harrison said. "And the national government needs to be a part of that process to make sure that we have that language training available."

Harrison said the province is preparing for about 850 refugees, a figure which is an estimate based on Saskatchewan's total population and a proportional share of Canada's promise to bring in 25,000 refugees.

In a typical year, Saskatchewan is the destination for about 600 refugees.