ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

Canada deported no fewer than 366 Nigerians between January and October 2025 as the country stepped up immigration enforcement at its fastest pace in more than a decade, official figures have revealed.

Data obtained from the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) removals programme also showed that an additional 974 Nigerians are currently listed under “removal in progress,” awaiting deportation.

The statistics, last updated on November 25, 2025, placed Nigeria ninth among the top 10 countries whose nationals were removed from Canada during the period under review. Nigeria also ranked fifth among nationalities with the highest number of people awaiting removal.

The surge coincides with a broader immigration crackdown by Canadian authorities.

The CBSA is now deporting close to 400 foreign nationals every week, the highest rate recorded in over 10 years.

In the 2024-2025 fiscal year alone, Canada removed 18,048 persons at an estimated cost of $78 million.

Under Canada’s Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, the CBSA is mandated to remove any foreign national with an enforceable removal order.

A person may be deemed inadmissible for reasons ranging from criminality and security concerns to misrepresentation, health issues, financial reasons, or failure to comply with immigration regulations.

CBSA data showed that about 83 per cent of deportees are failed refugee claimants whose asylum applications were rejected, while criminal-related cases account for roughly four per cent of removals.

Canadian law recognises three types of removal orders:

Departure orders, requiring the person to leave within 30 days;

Exclusion orders, which bar re-entry for between one and five years; and

Deportation orders, which permanently prohibit return unless special authorisation is granted.

An analysis of the 2025 deportation data showed that Nigeria is the only African country listed among the top 10 nationalities removed from Canada.

Other African countries were grouped under “remaining nationals,” accounting for a combined 6,233 removals.

The top countries for deportations in 2025 were Mexico (3,972), India (2,831), Haiti (2,012), Colombia (737), Romania (672), the United States (656), Venezuela (562), China (385), Nigeria (366), and Pakistan (359).

Similarly, Nigeria is the only African country among the top 10 in the “removal in progress” category, which is led by India (6,515), followed by Mexico (4,650), the United States (1,704), China (1,430), and Nigeria (974).

Canadian authorities say the intensified deportation drive is aimed at meeting revised immigration targets and easing pressures linked to housing shortages, labour market strain, and border security.

To support these efforts, the government has earmarked an additional $30.5 million over three years for removals, alongside a $1.3 billion investment in border security.

However, refugee advocates have raised concerns. President of the Canadian Association of Refugee Lawyers, Aisling Bondy, warned that deportations could increase further if Bill C-12, widely referred to as the “border bill” is passed.

One of the clauses in that bill would permanently bar many people from making refugee claims in Canada,” she said.

Despite the tightening policies, Canada remains a major destination for Nigerians seeking education, employment, and improved living conditions.

The 2021 Canadian census showed that more than 40,000 Nigerians migrated to Canada between 2016 and 2021, making them the largest African migrant group and the fifth-largest recent immigrant population overall.

Figures from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada indicated that 6,600 Nigerians became permanent residents in the first four months of 2024 alone, ranking fourth behind India, the Philippines, and China.

Between 2005 and 2024, over 71,000 Nigerians acquired Canadian citizenship, placing Nigeria among the top 10 source countries for new Canadian citizens.

Canada’s ageing population and ongoing labour shortages continue to attract skilled Nigerian professionals and students, even as immigration controls grow tighter.