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Immigration and Refugee Protection Act

s. 58 Release — Immigration Division

  • PART 1: Immigration to Canada
  • DIVISION 6: Detention and Release
  • Detention

Last verified: June 2026 · Source: justice.gc.ca

The law says

IRPA s. 58
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(1)The Immigration Division shall order the release of a permanent resident or a foreign national unless it is satisfied, taking into account prescribed factors, that

  • (a)they are a danger to the public;
  • (b)they are unlikely to appear for examination, an admissibility hearing, removal from Canada, or at a proceeding that could lead to the making of a removal order by the Minister under subsection 44(2);
  • (c)the Minister is taking necessary steps to inquire into a reasonable suspicion that they are inadmissible on grounds of security, violating human or international rights, sanctions, serious criminality, criminality, transborder criminality or organized criminality;
  • (d)the Minister is of the opinion that the identity of the foreign national — other than a designated foreign national who was 16 years of age or older on the day of the arrival that is the subject of the designation in question — has not been, but may be, established and they have not reasonably cooperated with the Minister by providing relevant information for the purpose of establishing their identity or the Minister is making reasonable efforts to establish their identity; or
  • (e)the Minister is of the opinion that the identity of the foreign national who is a designated foreign national and who was 16 years of age or older on the day of the arrival that is the subject of the designation in question has not been established.

Continued detention — designated foreign national

(1.1)Despite subsection (1), on the conclusion of a review under subsection 57.1(1), the Immigration Division shall order the continued detention of the designated foreign national if it is satisfied that any of the grounds described in paragraphs (1)(a) to (c) and (e) exist, and it may not consider any other factors.

Detention — Immigration Division

(2)The Immigration Division may order the detention of a permanent resident or a foreign national if it is satisfied that the permanent resident or the foreign national is the subject of an examination or an admissibility hearing or is subject to a removal order and that the permanent resident or the foreign national is a danger to the public or is unlikely to appear for examination, an admissibility hearing or removal from Canada.

Conditions

(3)If the Immigration Division orders the release of a permanent resident or a foreign national, it may impose any conditions that it considers necessary, including the payment of a deposit or the posting of a guarantee for compliance with the conditions.

Conditions — designated foreign national

(4)If the Immigration Division orders the release of a designated foreign national who was 16 years of age or older on the day of the arrival that is the subject of the designation in question, it shall also impose any condition that is prescribed.

Conditions — inadmissibility on grounds of security

(5)If the Immigration Division orders the release of a permanent resident or foreign national who is the subject of either a report on inadmissibility on grounds of security that is referred to the Immigration Division or a removal order for inadmissibility on grounds of security, it shall also impose the prescribed conditions on the person.

Duration of conditions

(6)The prescribed conditions imposed under subsection (5) cease to apply only when one of the events described in paragraphs 44(5)(a) to (e) occurs.

Sections this one cites

Justice Laws is the authoritative version. If this copy and it ever differ, Justice Laws wins.

Sections numbered under s. 58

Each of these is its own section of the Act, numbered after section 58.

IRPA s. 58.1

Release — on request

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What that means

This is a second way out of detention for designated foreign nationals who were 16 or older on arrival. They can ask the Minister for release where exceptional circumstances exist. They can also be released once the reasons for holding them are gone. Conditions can come with the release, including a deposit or a guarantee.

The law says

(1)The Minister may, on request of a designated foreign national who was 16 years of age or older on the day of the arrival that is the subject of the designation in question, order their release from detention if, in the Minister’s opinion, exceptional circumstances exist that warrant the release.

Release — Minister’s own initiative

(2)The Minister may, on the Minister’s own initiative, order the release of a designated foreign national who was 16 years of age or older on the day of the arrival that is the subject of the designation in question if, in the Minister’s opinion, the reasons for the detention no longer exist.

Conditions

(3)If the Minister orders the release of a designated foreign national, the Minister may impose any conditions, including the payment of a deposit or the posting of a guarantee for compliance with the conditions, that he or she considers necessary.

Conditions — inadmissibility on grounds of security

(4)If the Minister orders the release of a designated foreign national who is the subject of either a report on inadmissibility on grounds of security that is referred to the Immigration Division or a removal order for inadmissibility on grounds of security, the Minister must also impose the prescribed conditions on the person.

Duration of conditions

(5)The prescribed conditions imposed under subsection (4) cease to apply only when one of the events described in paragraphs 44(5)(a) to (e) occurs.