Immigrant detention: It’s Alberta’s turn to break its deal with Ottawa

The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) says Alberta has given it a termination notice, which the Alberta government refuses to confirm or deny.

Under agreements with various provinces, the federal agency sends detained immigrants to provincial jails for administrative reasons related to their immigration file.

These foreign nationals, including refugees, are subject to the same conditions as the prison population, even if they do not face criminal charges.

According to many experts this practice violates international laws.

Confidentiality surrounds negotiations

The Alberta government declined to say when it gave the federal agency notice of termination and when the contract will officially end.

Currently, the Government of Alberta contracts with the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA).Joseph Dow, Alberta Minister of Justice and Solicitor General Tyler Schandro were satisfied with the press secretary’s answer.

When we start againCBSA For clarification, a spokesperson, Maria Ladouceur, replied: Notice of cancellation received. The agency would not comment on the status of negotiations.

The Canada Border Services Agency said Alberta has ended its immigration detention agreement, but declined to provide further details.

Photo: The Canadian Press/Darren Calabrese

Alberta’s termination notice is certainly a positive developmentHannah Gross, an immigration lawyer and specialist in issues related to migrant detention at Human Rights Watch, responded.

” This is certainly another victory for human rights. »

His organization co-leads the #WelcometoCanada campaign, which aims to end immigrant incarceration.

Human Rights Watch’s Hannah Gross said she was happy to see another province end its contract with the federal government.

Photo: Courtesy

If Mrs. Grose was pleased with the news, she denied the secretive part of the negotiations.

Lack of transparency in immigration detention is not newshe laments. l’CBSA It has wide discretionary powers to deprive people of liberty and fundamental rights who come here seeking asylum or a better life.

She called on the federal government to show leadership and end the incarceration of immigrants across the country once and for all.

Two other provinces have already announced they are terminating their contracts with the Border Services Agency.

British Columbia was the first to do so in July 2022. Revision of contract It revealed that some aspects of the agreement were inconsistent with our government’s commitment to upholding human rights standardsBC Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth said at the time.

Nova Scotia followed suit in September 2022.

In both cases, the agreement requires a one-year notice.

Hence the quarantine of migrants in these two provinces will remain in place until 2023.

Another province in reflection

The Saskatchewan government has indicated it is currently reviewing its contract with Radio-Canada.CBSADo not wish to comment further at this time.

For their part, Quebec, Ontario and New Brunswick are resisting calls to end their agreements.

So far, these three provinces have not given notice of termination to the Border Services Agency and intend to continue holding immigrants in their jails.

The regional detention facility of Riviere-des-Prairies in Montreal is one of the prisons that incarcerate immigrants with criminals.

Photo: Radio-Canada / Oliver Plante

l’CBSA It does not mean having any kind of arrangement with provinces that are not bound by treaties.

About 2,000 immigrants were detained in regional jails each year from 2015 to 2020.

The public security minister in charge of the agency, Marco Mendicino, told Radio-Canada on September 29, 2022 that when immigrants are detained, they are detained according to international standards.

However, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees all agree that international law prohibits the detention of migrants for administrative purposes in the same institutions as criminals.