Immigration Detention Ends in Provincial Jails Across Canada

Strategic Insights -

Provincial jails in Canada will no longer be used to house migrants and asylum seekers on administrative grounds, following a years-long campaign by human rights groups and advocates. In a major victory for migrant and refugee rights, Ontario became the last province to block the Canada Border Services Agency from using provincial jails for immigration detention on September 14. This move comes after intense scrutiny of the conditions in these facilities, including a 2023 coroner's inquest into the 2015 death of Abdurahman Hassan.

Key Takeaways:

  • The use of provincial jails for immigration detention in Canada has ended, with Ontario becoming the last province to block the practice on September 14.
  • The Canada Border Services Agency has confirmed that there are currently no people detained in a provincial correctional facility as of September 15.
  • The #WelcomeToCanada campaign, launched by Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International Canada in October 2021, pressured provinces to end the practice of immigration detention in provincial jails.
  • Over 30,000 people across Canada have written directly to authorities in support of ending immigration detention in provincial jails.
  • The practice of using provincial jails for immigration detention has been widely criticized for being punitive, inconsistent with international human rights standards, and devastating to people's mental health.
  • A 2021 report documented that racialized people, particularly Black men, are confined in more restrictive conditions and for longer periods than other detainees.
  • The use of provincial jails for immigration detention has also led to discrimination against people with disabilities, who experience difficulties throughout the detention process.

Statistics:

  • Over 30,000 people across Canada have written directly to authorities in support of ending immigration detention in provincial jails.
  • The use of provincial jails for immigration detention has been criticized for being inconsistent with international human rights standards, with a 2021 report documenting the confinement of racialized people, particularly Black men, in more restrictive conditions and for longer periods than other detainees.

Sources:

  • Human Rights Watch (2025, September 19). Immigration Detention Ends in Provincial Jails Across Canada. Available at: https://www.hrw.org/news/2025/09/19/immigration-detention-ends-in-provincial-jails-across-canada