Nova Scotia becomes first province to stop holding immigration detainees



Nova Scotia has become the first province to stop holding immigration detainees on behalf of the federal government.

Canada Border Services Agency says the province ended the practice of housing migrants in its jails on Aug. 8.

Other provinces have said they would stop holding immigration detainees, including British Columbia and Alberta.

However, both of those provinces have agreed to temporarily continue housing high-risk detainees in jails, but they are not accepting new inmates.


Saskatchewan is slated to end its agreement with the agency on Sept. 30, while Manitoba and Ontario are set to terminate their deals next year.

The agency says it does not have agreements with Prince Edward Island or Newfoundland and Labrador but works with them on a case-by-case basis.

CBSA says it considers several factors for detaining immigrants, including whether a person is inadmissible to Canada, poses a flight risk or is a danger to the public due to a criminal history.

The agency runs its own immigration detention centres in Laval, Que., Toronto, and Surrey, B.C.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 1, 2023.