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Sask. ends two-decade agreement to jail immigration detainees

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Saskatchewan is ending its agreement to hold immigration detainees for the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA).

A memorandum of understanding between the federal government and the province, originally signed in 1994, will officially end on Sept. 30, according to a news release from the Saskatchewan government.

Saskatchewan informed the federal government of its intention to end the agreement on April. 3, the province said.

"We have reviewed the existing agreement and, after careful consideration, determined it is no longer consistent with the goals we want to achieve in Saskatchewan correctional facilities," Corrections, Policing and Public Safety Minister Christine Tell said in the news release.

In 2022, there were 16 inmates held in Saskatchewan jails on behalf of CBSA, 14 in 2021, 19 in 2020, and 23 in 2019, according to the province.

Other provinces have also ended similar agreements in recent years, including British Columbia and Alberta.

Saskatchewan said it is working with the CBSA on "a safe and effective transition plan."

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