British Columbia (BC) Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General, Mike Farnworth, announced on Thursday that the provincial government is ending its partnership with Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) on immigration detentions and will no longer hold detainees in BC correctional facilities. The Minister noted that BC Corrections will provide CBSA with the required 12 months’ written notice under the current partnership agreement.

The move comes after several human rights advocates and organizations, including the BC Civil Liberties Association (BCCLA), Human Rights Watch (HRW) and Amnesty International (AI), stepped up the pressure on the BC government to disallow its correction facilities from being used by CBSA to detain individuals seeking asylum.

HRW and AI released a report last year documenting the experience of detainees that included, among other things, being handcuffed and/or shackled, subjected to solitary confinement, restriction of access to the outside world, and being locked up for prolonged periods of time in dangerous environments where they may be subject to violence.

The report, titled “I Didn’t Feel Like a Human in There,” also notes that “Canada is among the few countries in the global north without a legal limit on the length of immigration detention” and that people of color, particularly Black detainees, were incarcerated for longer periods of time in provincial jails as opposed to immigration holding centers.

In announcing the end of BC’s partnership with CBSA, Farnworth stated:

In the fall of 2021, I committed to a review of BC Corrections’ arrangement with the CBSA on holding immigration detainees in provincial correctional centres… and whether it aligns with the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners and expectations set by Canadian courts…The review brought to light that aspects of the arrangement do not align with our government’s commitment to upholding human-rights standards or our dedication to pursuing social justice and equity for everyone. In light of these findings, the Province is ending its arrangement with the CBSA. BC Corrections is committed to working with the CBSA to develop a safe and efficient transition plan that achieves our common commitment to public safety while ensuring the rights of individuals are preserved and protected.

Following the announcement, rights groups and advocates commended the BC government on being the “first province” to take such a step and noted that “This is a true human rights victory, one which upholds the dignity and rights of people who come to Canada in search of safety or a better life.”