The issue of detention is complex. It really depends on the reason for the detention.
There are two fundamental reasons we detain people in immigration. One is that we think they may be dangerous because they have a criminal background or a terrorist background, or we may detain them because at the specific moment they come to Canada, we're not sure who they are and we're concerned that they might be dangerous. That is one ground. We have to be very careful in those circumstances.
The other reason we detain people is to ensure that they appear for hearings. In that context, there are fewer concerns. It's really just a matter that if we don't detain them, maybe we're going to have to find them, and there's going to be an expense attached.
The options depend. One of my clients was wrongly accused of being a member of al-Qaeda. He was ultimately cleared after eight years. He was released under electronic monitoring, camera surveillance in his house, and a whole series of conditions.
Other clients who aren't dangerous can be released with some kind of simple weekly reporting. The bail project, which is something I am pretty sure is financed by the government, is a very inexpensive way of ensuring compliance. People register with this project that's funded by the government, and the bail project then acts as an intermediary between the government and CBSA to ensure that people comply with the conditions. If they don't comply, the bail project tells the government, and the people are taken back into detention.
There are different options, depending on the seriousness of the case.