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Canada deports more people, particularly those rejected for refugee status
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By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
Canada deported more people last year to hit its highest annual level of removals in about a decade, overwhelmingly deporting people whose refugee claims were rejected, data obtained by Reuters showed.
By late November, Canada’s removal numbers had reached their highest point since at least 2015, when the governing Liberals led by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau came to power
The government has also budgeted more money for deportations this year.
Trudeau’s government, now in its final days, has sought to show Canadians it is getting tough on immigration amid a rising backlog of refugee claims and a backlash against immigrants over concerns that immigration is exacerbating a housing shortage.
Canada’s border agency said the spike in deportations is tied to a “significant increase” in the number of people applying for asylum since 2020, prompting it “to enforce removal orders in a more efficient and timely manner.”
Reuters requested border agency data on deportations, excluding people who left of their own accord and those sent back to the United States as part of a bilateral agreement under which would-be asylum-seekers are turned back.
The remaining total shows Canada deported 7,300 people between January 1 and November 19, 2024, an 8.4% increase over all of 2023 and a 95% increase over 2022.
The border agency did not provide equivalent figures for all of 2024. This week, it posted data online from 2019 to 2024 that do not break down deportations excluding returns to the US under that bilateral agreement. This data also showed an increase in the number of deportations.
About 79% of the 7,300 people deported in the first 11 months of last year were deported because their claim for refugee status had been rejected. That is up from about 75% in 2023 and 66% in 2022.
About 11% of the people deported last year through November 19 were removed for non-compliance with the conditions of their stay in Canada unrelated to a refugee claim, for example, for overstaying a visa. About 7% were deported because they had committed a crime either in Canada or elsewhere.
A spokesperson for Public Safety Minister David McGuinty did not immediately respond to questions about the deportations.
A spokesperson for the border agency said in an email that removal numbers fluctuate.
“The number of removals of those who received a negative asylum determination have increased each year since emerging from the pandemic,” wrote the spokesperson, Luke Reimer.
“These efforts are essential in maintaining the integrity of Canada’s asylum system.”
Canada has been dealing with record numbers of refugee claims, although the monthly totals dropped to 11,838 in January from 19,821 in July. There were 278,457 claims pending as of last month – the highest pending total in decades.
A campaign flag for US President Donald Trump flutters from a private residence between the Canada and US border in Mooers Forks, New York, US, Feb 4, 2025. REUTERS/Brian Snyder
MORE MONEY FOR DEPORTATIONS
One concern with these removals, especially those targeting failed refugee claimants, is that people can be deported while still appealing decisions about the risk they face if returned to their home countries, said Aisling Bondy, president of the Canadian Association of Refugee Lawyers.
“They could be removed even if there is significant error in the risk determination,” she said, worrying people are being deported to places they will face persecution.
Reimer said in an email that the agency “only actions a removal order once all legal avenues of recourse that can stay a removal have been exhausted.”
The rise in refugee claimant deportations speaks to the government’s priorities, including a tough stance on migration, said University of Toronto law professor and Human Rights Chair Audrey Macklin.
“You can decide that you want to make a show of how many people you are deporting to show that you are effective at policing the border,” Macklin said. “Then you go with people who are easier to find and remove, and those are going to be, often, refugee claimants.”
he prospect of deportation could also deter would-be refugee claimants, she said.
Canada is on track to deport even more people in the coming years: Late last year, the government pledged C$30.5 million ($21.3 million) over three years to increase deportations.
Canada Border Services Agency spent C$65.8 million on removals in 2023-24, up from C$56 million the year before.
At the same time, Canada has pledged C$1.3 billion toward border security to appease US President Donald Trump as he threatens sweeping tariffs on Canadian imports.
The ranks of those eligible for deportation could grow.
Canada is slashing temporary and permanent immigrant numbers and part of its plan relies on more than 1.2 million temporary residents, including workers and students, leaving the country next year, and another 1.1 million leaving the following year, according to government figures.
Immigration Minister Marc Miller has said Canada will deport people who do not leave on their own.
“It is people’s choice not to leave, and if they don’t, they face the consequences – including, after due process, deportation,” he told Reuters last year.
News
DSS intercepts arms shipment bound for bandit kingpin, nabs suspect
Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) have arrested a suspected arms courier in Kano State allegedly transporting weapons intended for delivery to a notorious bandit leader operating in Zamfara.
An operational report made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Saturday said the suspect was apprehended on Friday in Gezawa Local Government Area following actionable intelligence.
According to the report, the suspect was intercepted while moving a cache of arms and ammunition from Maigatari Local Government Area of Jigawa to Funtua in Katsina State for onward delivery to criminal elements.
“Items recovered from the suspect include three AK-47 rifles, four rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) tubes and warheads, as well as two empty magazines.”
The report said preliminary investigations linked the consignment to a suspected bandit kingpin believed to be operating in parts of Zamfara.
“The suspect confessed that he was contracted to transport the weapons from Maigatari to Funtua and was promised a payment of N450,000 upon successful delivery.
“Investigations are ongoing to unravel the network behind the arms movement and identify other collaborators involved in the operation,” the report said.
The report described the arrest as a major breakthrough in ongoing efforts to disrupt the supply of arms and ammunition to criminal groups responsible for violent attacks, kidnappings and other security threats in the North-West.
It added that the suspect was in DSS custody and would face further investigation and possible prosecution in accordance with the law.
According to the report, security agencies have continued to intensify intelligence-driven operations aimed at dismantling logistics networks that sustain banditry, terrorism and other forms of organised crime across the country.
(NAN)
News
Chimamanda Adichie alleges cover-up, negligence following son’s death
Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has accused Euracare Multi-Specialist Hospital of medical negligence and an subsequent attempt to cover up the circumstances surrounding her son’s death by taking her pursuit of justice for her late son, Nkanu Nnamdi, to the public.
In a four-part series shared on Instagram, Adichie detailed a devastating sequence of events. According to her, her son suffered a hypoxic brain injury caused by improper sedation administered by an anesthesiologist, Dr. Titus Ogundare, which ultimately resulted in his death.
Beyond the medical tragedy, Adichie alleges that the hospital has engaged in a pattern of dishonest practices. These include:
Issuing an inaccurate death certificate that falsely attributed the cause of death to meningitis.
Failing to provide complete or accurate medical records to her family.
Employing heartless language in legal correspondence, including referring to her son’s death as a “dispute”.
Stalling and attempting to obstruct a coroner’s inquest, which was originally initiated by the hospital itself. Describing the immense toll this has taken on her.
She said, “I wake up every single morning with my heart racing… The ultimate and utter loneliness of grief is that only you can know the true depth of your despair. I long for, at least, peace to mourn, but Euracare Hospital has robbed me even of that”.
The author also recounted an encounter with a senior figure in the hospital’s ownership who allegedly attempted to discourage her from pursuing legal action by suggesting her reputation could be dragged in the mud during court proceedings. Adichie said this was a manipulative and threatening message.
“An inquest is a public judicial inquiry designed to establish the circumstances surrounding a death,” she stated.
Adichie explained, that it is not a trial or a claim for damages, but simply a search for the truth. By making these details public, she hopes to demand the accountability and transparency that she feels have been denied to her family.
“I have decided to make this letter public because to keep silent about Euracare’s evil is to enable it”. She stated.
News
Tinubu condemns death of retired general Rabe in kidnappers’ custody
President Bola Tinubu has expressed deep sorrow over the death of retired Major-General Rabe Abubakar, who was reportedly abducted by armed criminals in Katsina State and later died while still in their custody.
According to a State House statement issued on Saturday, the president said he received the news of the former military officer’s death with “shock and sadness,” describing the incident as a tragic reminder of the security challenges facing parts of the country.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has expressed shock over the death of retired Major-General Rabe Abubakar while in the custody of terrorists in Katsina State,” the statement read.
General Abubakar, who had retired from the Nigerian Armed Forces after a distinguished career, was said to have been travelling to his hometown when he was intercepted and abducted by armed men.
“General Abubakar, after a distinguished career in the military, retired a few years ago. He was on his way to his hometown when the hoodlums captured him,” the statement stated.
The presidency also revealed that the late officer’s wife was taken alongside him and is still being held by the abductors, a detail that has further intensified public concern over the incident.
The president extended condolences to the bereaved family, the people of Katsina State, and the military establishment, describing the loss as painful and unacceptable.
He also reiterated the government’s uncompromising stance on terrorism and kidnapping, warning that the state would not be blackmailed into concessions.
While condemning the attack, Tinubu declared: “Bandits, kidnappers, and sponsors of terror should now surrender or face the full force of the Nigerian State. These windows of surrender will not remain open forever. And no mercy will be shown to those who trade in the blood of Nigerians.”
He further stressed national unity and resilience in the face of insecurity, insisting that the country would ultimately prevail.
“As Nigerians, we must stand united and be assured that the enemies of our nation shall soon be history. We will triumph over terror and continue to build a more prosperous nation,” the President said.
On the broader fight against insecurity, Tinubu said the tragedy should serve as a turning point in Nigeria’s counterterrorism efforts, rejecting any form of negotiation with armed groups.
“General Abubakar’s death should further serve as a defining moment in our battle against terrorists and insurgents, never to negotiate with them on any terms, but to continue to treat them as the greatest enemies of our dear nation, who should never be spared,” the statement added.
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