Canada Deports 366 Nigerians, Nearly 1,000 Await Removal

Canada deported 366 Nigerian nationals between January and October 2025, according to official data from the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), as the country accelerated immigration enforcement to its highest level in more than a decade.

CBSA removal programme statistics, updated on November 25, 2025, also show that 974 Nigerians are currently listed as “removal in progress,” meaning their deportation process is ongoing.

Nigeria ranked ninth among the top 10 nationalities deported from Canada during the period under review. In the removal-in-progress inventory, Nigeria placed fifth, making it the only African country featured in both top 10 lists.

Historical data indicate fluctuating deportation figures for Nigerians. Canada removed 339 Nigerians in 2019, 302 in 2020, 242 in 2021, and 199 in 2022. Nigeria did not appear in the top 10 deportation list in 2023 and 2024 but returned in 2025 with 366 removals recorded within the first 10 months. This represents an eight per cent increase compared with 2019.

The rise aligns with Canada’s broader immigration enforcement push. The CBSA is now removing close to 400 foreign nationals each week, the fastest pace in over a decade. In the 2024–2025 fiscal year, Canada deported 18,048 people at a cost of about $78 million.

Under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, the CBSA is required to remove foreign nationals with enforceable removal orders. Grounds for removal include security concerns, criminality, human or international rights violations, organised crime, health or financial reasons, misrepresentation, and failure to comply with immigration rules.

CBSA data show that about 83 per cent of removals involve failed refugee claimants whose asylum applications were rejected, while criminality accounts for roughly four per cent.

Canadian law provides for three types of removal orders: departure orders, which require individuals to leave within 30 days; exclusion orders, which bar re-entry for one to five years; and deportation orders, which permanently prohibit return without special authorisation.

The Canadian government says the intensified deportation drive is aimed at meeting immigration targets and addressing pressures related to housing, the labour market, and border security. Ottawa has allocated an additional $30.5 million over three years to strengthen removal operations and committed $1.3 billion to border security measures.

The President of the Canadian Association of Refugee Lawyers, Aisling Bondy, has warned that deportations could increase further if Bill C-12, known as the border bill, is passed. She noted that parts of the bill could permanently bar many individuals from filing refugee claims in Canada.

In 2025, the top 10 countries by number of deportations 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). Other African countries were grouped under “remaining nationals,” which accounted for 6,233 removals.

A similar pattern appeared in the removal-in-progress inventory, led by India (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 enforcement measures, Canada remains a major destination for Nigerians. The 2021 Canadian census recorded more than 40,000 Nigerians migrating to Canada between 2016 and 2021, making them the largest African migrant group in the country.

Data from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada show that 6,600 Nigerians became new permanent residents in the first four months of 2024, 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 citizens.

Canada’s ageing population and persistent labour shortages continue to drive demand for skilled workers and international students, including those from Nigeria.