The House of Commons’ public safety committee has issued a report recommending the government consider the use of electronic ankle bracelets as a way to curb the number of denied refugee claimants who fail to comply with removal orders.
Opposition critics, however, say expanding the use of such technology for immigration purposes would be a waste of money since most rejected immigrants and failed refugee claimants pose “little or no risk” to the public.
Currently, electronic monitoring is rarely used in Canada in immigration cases. At the time the committee prepared its report, three individuals in Canada were subject to electronic monitoring as conditions of their release from immigration detention.
The committee’s report cited the testimony earlier this year of Peter Hill, director general of post-border programs at the Canada Border Services Agency, which has the responsibility of enforcing the removal of people deemed inadmissible to Canada. Hill testified that there were 44,000 individuals in the country with outstanding arrest warrants and whose current whereabouts were unknown.
