UPDATED 4.05pm: The Catholic and Anglican Archbishops have sent a letter to John Key pleading with him to increase our refugee intake.

The Prime Minister has indicated the 750 refugee quota which has been in place for years could be reviewed within weeks.

A letter penned by Anglican Archbishop Philip Richardson, Maori Anglican Archbishop Brown Turei and Cardinal John Dew from the Catholic Church, said the global crisis needs a global response.

It said they know Catholic and Anglican Christians throughout the country will step up to provide support and assistance to those our country offers refuge to.

Pressure's been mounting for the Government to take more refugees with heart rending images showing the plight of some of the 60 million people who're now displaced.

John Key said a review of the quota is scheduled for next year but that could be brought forward.

"We're not ruling out looking at whether there's more that we could possibly do earlier, and maybe specifically in relation to what we're seeing at the moment."

John Key said while raising the quota would be absolutely and utterly crucial for those people, it would be symbolic.

"There are 50 million people in the world that find themselves displaced and 20 odd million in refugee camps around the world. So in reality if we were to take a small number more it's a tiny, tiny, tiny fraction."

He also said because we go through the United Nations refugee programme we can't pick and choose who and where the refugees come from. 

"I can watch the TV screens like everybody else, and I can certainly feel great sympathy for the people that are there, but I've also got to make sure that if we take any further steps, that they're professionally handled and we can actually cope with them and deal with them properly."