Hon. Mobina S. B. Jaffer: My question is also to the Government Representative.

Leader, I follow Senator Pate’s question on the detention of refugees. Fifty years ago, I arrived as a refugee from Uganda to the best country in the world called Canada knowing that I would find safe refuge. Today, the news that our government has contracts with provincial governments to incarcerate hundreds of refugee claimants and migrants in provincial jails is just mind‑boggling. I shudder to think what would have happened to my beloved mother, father and five siblings if we had faced this detention. We would have been broken people and would never have flourished in this great country as we have.

Since last week, Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick have announced that they’re ending their detention contracts with the Canadian Border Services Agency. They joined British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia to make it eight provinces who have now cancelled their immigration detention contracts. Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island and the territories have not yet cancelled their agreements.

According to the latest data from Canada Border Services Agency, as of the second quarter of fiscal year 2022-23, these regions did not have any detainees. That said, it’s still crucial for the federal government to put a federal policy in place.

Just for your information, leader, during the COVID-19 pandemic, detention numbers dropped dramatically, and yet people were still showing up for immigration hearings.

Leader, last week, Senator Pate asked you almost the same question, and I’m repeating it: Why is our government continuing to detain vulnerable and marginalized people who have not committed any crimes?