Canada deported no fewer than 366 Nigerians between January and October 2025, according to official immigration enforcement data, as the North American country steps up removals at a pace not seen in more than a decade.
Statistics from the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) also show that 974 Nigerians are currently listed for removal, with deportation processes already underway.
The data, last updated on November 25, 2025, places Nigeria ninth among the top 10 countries whose nationals were deported from Canada within the period under review. Nigeria also ranks fifth among countries with the highest number of persons awaiting removal.
A closer look at the figures reveals that deportations of Nigerians from Canada have fluctuated over the years. In 2019, 339 Nigerians were removed, a figure that declined to 302 in 2020, 242 in 2021, and 199 in 2022.
Nigeria did not appear on Canada’s top 10 deportation list in 2023 and 2024, but returned in 2025, with 366 removals recorded in just ten months, representing an eight per cent increase compared to the 2019 total.
The surge coincides with a broader immigration enforcement drive in Canada. The CBSA is currently removing nearly 400 foreign nationals every week, marking the agency’s highest removal rate in over ten years.
In the 2024–2025 fiscal year, Canadian authorities deported 18,048 people, spending an estimated $78 million on enforcement operations.
Under Canada’s Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, the CBSA is mandated to remove any foreign national subject to an enforceable removal order. Reasons for removal include security concerns, criminal convictions, misrepresentation, organised crime, health or financial grounds, as well as failure to comply with immigration rules.
CBSA data indicates that about 83 per cent of those deported are failed refugee claimants, while criminality accounts for roughly four per cent of removals.
Canadian law recognises three categories of removal orders.
Departure orders require individuals to leave the country within 30 days; exclusion orders prohibit re-entry for periods ranging from one to five years; while deportation orders permanently bar individuals from returning unless they receive special authorisation.
Explaining the renewed enforcement, the Canadian government said the measures are aimed at tightening immigration targets and easing pressures on housing, labour markets, and border security.
Authorities have earmarked an additional $30.5 million over three years to strengthen removal operations and committed $1.3 billion to border security enhancements.
However, immigration experts warn that deportations could increase further if proposed legislative changes are adopted.
President of the Canadian Association of Refugee Lawyers, Aisling Bondy, expressed concern over the implications of Bill C-12, also known as the border bill.
“One of the provisions in that bill would permanently bar certain individuals from making refugee claims in Canada,” Bondy said, noting that the policy could significantly expand the scope of deportations.
Analysis of the CBSA figures shows that Nigeria is the only African country listed among the top 10 nationalities deported in 2025. Other African countries were grouped under “remaining nationals,” accounting for 6,233 removals within the same year.
The countries with the highest number of deportations in 2025 include Mexico, India, Haiti, Colombia, Romania, the United States, Venezuela, China, Nigeria, and Pakistan.
Despite the removals, Canada remains a major destination for Nigerians. Census data shows that over 40,000 Nigerians migrated to Canada between 2016 and 2021, making them the largest African migrant group in the country.
Immigration records further reveal that 6,600 Nigerians became permanent residents within the first four months of 2024, ranking Nigeria among the top four source countries for new permanent residents.
Between 2005 and 2024, more than 71,000 Nigerians acquired Canadian citizenship, reflecting Canada’s continued appeal amid labour shortages and an ageing population.
