CLASS ACTIONS

Immigrant Detainee Class Action

Koskie Minsky LLP and Henein Hutchison Robitaille LLP have commenced a class action against the Government of Canada and the Province of Ontario alleging that staffing-related lockdowns have caused harm to immigrant detainees in Ontario provincial correctional institutions.

The class includes all persons detained under Division 6 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, SC 2001, c 27 at Ontario correctional institutions as defined in the Ministry of Correctional Services Act, RSO 1990, c M22 (the “Correctional Institutions”) between May 30, 2009 and November 27, 2017 (solely with respect to their detention under Division 6 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act), except the “Excluded Persons”. “Excluded Persons” are all persons who were detained at the Elgin-Middlesex Detention Centre, the Ontario Correctional Institute and the St. Lawrence Valley Correctional and Treatment Centre (solely with respect to their detention under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act at those Correctional Institutions).

We are pleased to share that the parties have reached a Settlement in this class action. A copy of the Settlement can be viewed here.

The Settlement must be approved by the Court before any claims can be made. There will be a Settlement Approval Hearing on October 22, 2025 at 10:00am EST virtually over Zoom and in person at the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, 330 University Avenue, Toronto, ON, M5G 1R7. When available, a Zoom link for virtual attendance at the Settlement Approval Hearing will be posted on this webpage.

The deadline to object to the proposed Settlement is October 14, 2025. You must submit a completed Objection Form to the Administrator ONLY if you want to OBJECT to the proposed Settlement, Class Counsel Fees, and/or Honoraria. The Objection Form is not a Claim Form. Claim Forms are not yet available. You can download the Objection Form here.

If you wish to make a Claim, you are not required to do anything until after the Settlement is approved. Check this website regularly after the Settlement Approval Hearing to see if the Settlement has been approved. You can also provide your e-mail address to the Administrator or to Class Counsel to be notified by e-mail if the Settlement is approved.

You can find more details at ONTJailStaffLockdowns.ca.

For further information:

Toll-Free Telephone: 1-855-525-3403

Email: idclassaction@hhllp.ca

Co-counsel: Immigrant Detainee Class Action – Koskie Minsky LLP

Koskie Minsky LLP and Henein Hutchison Robitaille LLP have commenced a class action against the Government of Canada and the Province of Ontario alleging human rights violations relating to the treatment of immigrant detainees in Ontario’s prisons.

The statement of claim issued on August 11, 2016 alleges, among other things, that the Canada Border Services Agency and the Ontario Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services have been negligent and have breached the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms in incarcerating immigrant detainees in Ontario’s correctional facilities. The action was certified by the Superior Court of Justice on November 27, 2017.

The class includes all persons detained under Division 6 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, S.C. 2001, c. 27 at Ontario correctional institutions as defined in the Ministry of Correctional Services Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. M.22 (the “Correctional Institutions”) between May 30, 2009 and November 27, 2017 (solely with respect to their detention under Division 6 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act), except the “Excluded Persons”. “Excluded Persons” are all persons who were detained at the Elgin-Middlesex Detention Centre, the Ontario Correctional Institute and the St. Lawrence Valley Correctional and Treatment Centre (solely with respect to their detention under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act at those Correctional Institutions).

Godday Dadzie, an Ivory Coast national formerly incarcerated in the Central East Correctional Centre in Lindsay, Ontario, and Al Zeekehmens, a Liberian national formerly incarcerated in Maplehurst Correctional Complex in Milton, Ontario are the representative plaintiffs.