Canada deported 366 Nigerians between January and October 2025 as it intensified immigration enforcement at its fastest pace in more than a decade, official data obtained from the Canada Border Services Agency, CBSA, has shown.
The figures, sourced from the CBSA removals programme statistics and last updated on November 25, 2025, also revealed 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, Nigeria ranked ninth among the top ten nationalities deported from Canada during the period under review. It also ranked fifth among countries with the highest number of individuals awaiting removal, making it the only African country to feature prominently on both lists.
A review of historical trends showed that deportations involving Nigerians have fluctuated over the years. In 2019, Canadian authorities removed 339 Nigerians. This figure declined to 302 in 2020, 242 in 2021, and 199 in 2022. Nigeria did not appear among the top ten deported nationalities in 2023 and 2024. However, it returned to the list in 2025, recording 366 deportations within just ten months. This represents an eight per cent increase compared to the 2019 figure.
The rise in removals comes amid a broader immigration enforcement drive by Canadian authorities. The CBSA is currently removing nearly 400 foreign nationals every week, a pace described as the highest in more than ten years. In the 2024 to 2025 fiscal year alone, Canada removed 18,048 individuals, spending an estimated 78 million dollars on enforcement and removal operations.
Under Canada’s Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, the CBSA is legally mandated to remove any foreign national who is subject to an enforceable removal order. Individuals may be found inadmissible and face deportation for a range of reasons, including security concerns, violations of human or international rights, involvement in criminal or organised crime activities, health or financial grounds, misrepresentation, or failure to comply with immigration rules.
CBSA data showed that failed refugee claimants account for the majority of removals, representing approximately 83 per cent of all cases. Criminality accounts for about four per cent, while the remaining cases involve other forms of inadmissibility.
Canadian immigration law provides for three categories of removal orders. Departure orders require individuals to leave the country within 30 days. Exclusion orders bar re entry into Canada for a period ranging from one to five years. Deportation orders permanently prohibit individuals from returning to Canada unless they obtain special authorisation from the government.
The Canadian government has said the intensified deportations are part of efforts to tighten immigration targets and respond to growing concerns over housing shortages, labour market pressures, and border security. To support these measures, the government allocated an additional 30.5 million dollars over three years to strengthen removal operations and committed 1.3 billion dollars toward enhancing border security infrastructure and enforcement.
Immigration experts and refugee advocates have raised concerns that deportations could increase further if proposed legislation is passed. The President of the Canadian Association of Refugee Lawyers, Aisling Bondy, warned that Bill C 12, also known as the border bill, could significantly expand the scope of removals. She noted that one clause in the bill could permanently bar certain individuals from filing refugee claims in Canada.
An analysis of the CBSA figures showed that Nigeria is the only African country listed among the top ten nationalities deported in 2025. Other African countries were grouped under the category remaining nationals, which collectively accounted for 6,233 removals during the year.
The top ten countries for removals in 2025 were Mexico with 3,972 deportations, India with 2,831, Haiti with 2,012, Colombia with 737, Romania with 672, the United States with 656, Venezuela with 562, China with 385, Nigeria with 366, and Pakistan with 359.
Similarly, Nigeria is the only African country featured among the top ten in the removal in progress inventory. The list is led by India with 6,515 cases, followed by Mexico with 4,650, the United States with 1,704, China with 1,430, Nigeria with 974, Colombia with 895, Pakistan with 863, Haiti with 741, Brazil with 650, and Chile with 621.
Despite the rising number of deportations, Canada remains a popular destination for Nigerians seeking better economic opportunities, education, and long term settlement. The 2021 Canadian census showed that more than 40,000 Nigerians migrated to Canada between 2016 and 2021, making them the fifth largest recent immigrant group and the largest African migrant population in the country.
Further data from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada showed that 6,600 Nigerians became new permanent residents within the first four months of 2024, ranking Nigeria fourth behind India, the Philippines, and China. Between 2005 and 2024, more than 71,000 Nigerians obtained Canadian citizenship, placing Nigeria tenth among source countries for new Canadian citizens.
Canada’s ageing population, combined with persistent labour shortages in key sectors, has continued to attract skilled Nigerian professionals and international students, even as immigration rules become stricter and enforcement measures intensify.
Comments
Post a Comment