“I think that the figure 25,000 is hopeful”: How many refugees can Sask. handle?

REGINA – Liberal leader Justin Trudeau will officially become Canada’s Prime Minister next week, but the clock is already ticking on his pledge to bring 25,000 Syrian refugees to the country by the end of the year.

One of those potential locations for settlement is Regina, which is no stranger to refugees looking for a new home.

“Here in Regina, we typically resettle 200 to 250 government assisted refugees every year,” said Darcy Dietrich, the Executive Director for Regina’s Open Door Society (RODS).

Resettling refugees is a process that requires extensive resources.

“Everything from meeting them at the airport, providing temporary accommodations, you know the life skills.” explained Dietrich.

There’s much more including English classes and counseling services which are already in high demand in other parts of the country, which could result in Saskatchewan playing a major role in accepting part of the 25,000 refugees.

“I would guesstimate between 500 and 1,000 for the province,” said Dietrich.

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RODS said they can help another 100 to 200 individuals based on the current funding levels.

The province has already committed an extra $150,000 but that money sits in the bank as they await word from the new federal government.

“I think it’s going to be a bit of a problem with figuring out how much should come to Regina and to Saskatoon,” said Ralph Paragg, a political science professor at the University of Regina.

While Paragg agrees with Dietrich’s guesstimate in terms of the number of refugees Saskatchewan will receive, he does see some challenges ahead.

“I think the constraint here is the housing situation. If the government will make investment in social housing and low cost housing then you could probably see more refugees coming here,” explained Paragg.

“I’m a little bit worried if people come too quickly and we’re not able to give them the services that we normally do, that they might struggle a little bit in their settlement,” reiterated Dietrich.

It’s left this humanitarian effort struggling to balance good intentions to help, with the limited resources available.

“I think that the figure 25,000 is hopeful. But I don’t think it’s achievable given the short time. Maybe by spring,” added Paragg.