Have you ever wondered where immigration offenders are held in Canada?
Until recently, the answer was alarming: undocumented foreigners were held in ordinary provincial jails, side by side with criminals. These jails might have been for people who had their visas expired, overstayed their status, or were deemed a "flight risk" by the CBSA, potentially fleeing before deportation. Dozens of women, the elderly, and even families with children have ended up behind bars simply because of immigration issues.
Since March of this year, Canada has officially ended this practice. All 10 provinces have terminated its contracts with the federal government. There are now only three immigration holding centres (IHC) in the country:
- Toronto, Ontario
- Laval, Quebec
- Surry, British Columbia
And for the most "high-risk" cases, there's a new facility in Sainte-Anne-des-Plaines, Quebec. It holds a maximum of 25 men requiring strict supervision.
But there's an issue: there is not enough space. Currently, 98% of CBSA detainees are released on bail, electronic bracelets, regular reporting, etc., because there's simply nowhere to put them. Federal immigration centres hold about 100 people at a time, while alternative custody holds over 13,000.
At the same time, Canada has been closing regular correctional facilities in recent years. Over the past decade, more than a dozen provincial prisons and jails have been closed, and almost no new ones are being built. The shortage of prison space isn't an abstract problem: some people should be isolated before deportation, but the reality is they're released because there's nowhere to put them.
And this becomes a social challenge. Public anxiety is growing: the immigration system is being humanized, but the infrastructure is lacking. This means more people on bail rather than behind bars, even if the CBSA considers them a threat or a flight risk.
On one hand, this is a victory for human rights activists—no one will end up in a cell next to criminals just for overstaying their visa. On the other hand, the reality is that Canada isn't ready to massively isolate those it deems "risky"—there are no spaces, no new prisons, and no political will to build them.
This is a problem that's not being discussed now. For some reason, people are shouting about a more lenient system, but they're forgetting the basic source: FUNDING...
What are your thoughts?
Oleksandra Melnykova, Immigration and Refugee Consultant in Canada.
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