CBSA spent nearly $1 million on private jets for deportation and detainee transfers, report says

Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) spent nearly $1 million over a two-year period chartering private aircraft to deport foreign nationals or transfer detainees within Canada, according to a report by The Globe and Mail citing internal CBSA documents.

The report says the agency chartered a Dassault Falcon 900EX private jet in January 2022 to deport three individuals at a cost of approximately $438,000. According to the internal records reviewed by The Globe and Mail, the aircraft was used for a single removal operation.

The documents also indicate that in September 2022, CBSA paid $130,432 to charter a Bombardier Global 5000 aircraft to remove two foreign nationals from Canada. The aircraft has seating capacity for up to 14 passengers.

CBSA spokesperson Luke Reimer told The Globe and Mail that most deportations are carried out using commercial airline flights and that chartered aircraft are reserved for exceptional circumstances. Reimer said the agency has chartered fewer than five such flights since 2020.