Canada deported 366 Nigerians between January and October 2025, following a sharp escalation in immigration enforcement that has reached its fastest pace in more than a decade, official figures obtained have revealed.
Statistics sourced from the Canada Border Services Agency’s removals programme also show that 974 Nigerians are currently listed in the agency’s “removal in progress” inventory and are awaiting deportation from the country.
According to the data, which was last updated on November 25, 2025, Nigeria ranked ninth among the 10 countries with the highest number of deportations during the period under review. Nigerians also placed fifth among nationalities with pending removal cases.
Historical figures indicate fluctuations in the number of Nigerians deported over the years. Canada removed 339 Nigerians in 2019, 302 in 2020, 242 in 2021, and 199 in 2022.
Nigeria did not appear among the top 10 deported nationalities in 2023 and 2024. However, it re-entered the list in 2025, recording 366 deportations within the first 10 months of the year — an increase of eight per cent compared to the 2019 total.
The rise coincides with a broader immigration clampdown in Canada, with the CBSA now deporting nearly 400 foreign nationals every week, marking the highest removal rate in over 10 years.
In the 2024–2025 fiscal year, Canada deported 18,048 individuals at an estimated cost of about $78m.
Under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, the CBSA is mandated to enforce removal orders against foreign nationals deemed inadmissible. Grounds for removal include security concerns, human or international rights violations, criminality, organised crime, health considerations, financial reasons, misrepresentation, and breaches of immigration regulations.
Failed refugee claimants account for the bulk of removals, representing approximately 83 per cent of cases, while criminality contributes about four per cent.
Canadian immigration law recognises three categories of removal orders: departure orders, which require individuals to leave within 30 days; exclusion orders, which restrict re-entry for one to five years; and deportation orders, which permanently bar return unless special authorisation is granted.
The Canadian government has stated that the stepped-up removals are part of efforts to meet revised immigration targets and address mounting concerns over housing shortages, labour market pressures and border security.
To support this approach, authorities allocated an additional $30.5m over three years to strengthen deportation operations and committed $1.3bn toward border security enhancements.
Meanwhile, President of the Canadian Association of Refugee Lawyers, Aisling Bondy, warned that deportations could increase further if Bill C-12, popularly referred to as the ‘border bill,’ is passed.
“One of the clauses in that bill is that a lot of people will be permanently banned from filing a refugee claim in Canada,” Bondy said.
An analysis of CBSA records showed that Nigeria is the only African country listed among the top 10 nationalities deported in 2025. Other African countries were categorised under “remaining nationals,” which accounted for 6,233 removals during the year.
The countries with the highest number of removals in 2025 are Mexico (3,972), India (2,831), Haiti (2,012), Colombia (737), Romania (672), United States (656), Venezuela (562), China (385), Nigeria (366), and Pakistan (359).
Similarly, Nigeria is the sole African country appearing in the top 10 for the removal-in-progress inventory, with 974 cases. India tops the list with 6,515, followed by Mexico (4,650), the United States (1,704), China (1,430), Nigeria (974), Colombia (895), Pakistan (863), Haiti (741), Brazil (650), and Chile (621).
Despite the removals, Canada remains a major destination for Nigerians seeking improved living and economic opportunities. Data from the 2021 Canadian census show that more than 40,000 Nigerians migrated to Canada between 2016 and 2021, making them the fifth-largest group of recent immigrants and the largest African migrant population in the country.
Figures from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada also indicate that 6,600 Nigerians secured permanent residency within the first four months of 2024, ranking fourth behind India, the Philippines and China.
Between 2005 and 2024, over 71,459 Nigerians acquired Canadian citizenship, placing Nigeria 10th among countries of origin for new Canadian citizens.
Canada’s ageing population and persistent labour shortages have continued to attract skilled professionals and students from Nigeria.
(PUNCH)
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