- To support this, authorities approved an additional $30.5 million over three years for removals
- The removals are taking place amid an aggressive immigration clampdown in Canada
- The statistics, last updated on November 25, 2025, placed Nigeria ninth among the top 10 nationalities removed from Canada
Canada has deported 366 Nigerians between January and October 2025 as the country steps up immigration enforcement at a pace not seen in more than a decade, according to official figures.
Eko Hot Blog reports that data obtained from the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) removals programme further showed that 974 Nigerians are currently listed under “removal in progress,” meaning they are awaiting deportation from the North American country.
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The statistics, last updated on November 25, 2025, placed Nigeria ninth among the top 10 nationalities removed from Canada during the period under review. The data also ranked Nigerians fifth among foreign nationals presently awaiting removal.
A review of past records revealed fluctuating deportation figures for Nigerians over the years. In 2019, 339 Nigerians were removed, a number that declined to 302 in 2020, fell further to 242 in 2021, and dropped to 199 in 2022.
Although Nigeria did not appear among the top 10 deported countries in 2023 and 2024, it re-emerged in 2025 with 366 deportations recorded within just ten months, representing an eight per cent increase compared to the 2019 figure.
The removals are taking place amid an aggressive immigration clampdown in Canada, with the CBSA now deporting nearly 400 foreign nationals every week, the highest rate recorded in over ten years.
During the 2024–2025 fiscal year, Canada reportedly deported 18,048 individuals, spending an estimated $78 million to carry out the exercise.
Under Canada’s Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, the CBSA is mandated to remove any foreign national issued with an enforceable removal order.
Such orders may arise from security concerns, criminal offences, human rights violations, organised crime, health-related issues, financial inadmissibility, misrepresentation, or failure to comply with immigration regulations.
Records showed that about 83 per cent of those deported are failed refugee claimants whose asylum applications were rejected, while criminal-related cases accounted for roughly four per cent of removals.
Canadian 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 said the intensified deportation drive is aimed at tightening immigration targets and easing pressure linked to housing shortages, labour market challenges, and border security concerns.
To support this, authorities approved an additional $30.5 million over three years for removals and committed $1.3 billion to strengthen border control.
Meanwhile, the President of the Canadian Association of Refugee Lawyers, Aisling Bondy, has warned that deportations could rise further if Bill C-12, widely referred to as the “border bill,” is passed into law, noting that some provisions could permanently prevent many individuals from filing refugee claims in Canada.
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