Canada Deports 366 Nigerians in 10 Months as Immigration Crackdown Intensifies

Canada Deports 366 Nigerians in 10 Months as Immigration Crackdown Intensifies

Canada deported 366 Nigerian nationals between January and October 2025 as immigration enforcement intensified to levels not seen in more than a decade, according to official data from the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA).

The data, last updated on November 25, 2025, also show that 974 Nigerians are currently listed under “removal in progress,” meaning they are awaiting deportation. With these figures, Nigeria ranked ninth among the top 10 nationalities deported from Canada in 2025 and fifth among countries with the highest number of pending removals.

Historical CBSA records indicate fluctuating deportation trends for Nigerians. In 2019, Canada removed 339 Nigerians, a figure that fell to 302 in 2020, 242 in 2021, and 199 in 2022. Nigeria did not feature among the top 10 deported nationalities in 2023 and 2024, but returned to the list in 2025, with 366 deportations recorded within 10 months—an eight per cent increase compared with 2019.

The deportations are occurring amid a broader Canadian immigration crackdown, with the CBSA now removing nearly 400 foreign nationals every week, the highest weekly rate in over a decade. During the 2024–2025 fiscal year, Canada deported 18,048 individuals, spending an estimated $78 million on removals.

Under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, the CBSA is legally required to remove foreign nationals subject to enforceable removal orders. Grounds for removal include security concerns, criminal activity, organised crime, human or international rights violations, health or financial reasons, misrepresentation, and non-compliance with immigration laws.

CBSA data show that failed refugee claimants account for about 83 per cent of all removals, while criminality-related cases make up roughly four per cent.

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Canadian law recognises three types of removal orders: departure orders, requiring exit within 30 days; exclusion orders, barring re-entry for one to five years; and deportation orders, which permanently prohibit return without special authorisation.

The Canadian government says the intensified enforcement is aimed at meeting tighter immigration targets and addressing challenges such as housing shortages, labour market pressure, and border security. Ottawa has allocated an additional $30.5 million over three years for removals, alongside a $1.3 billion investment to strengthen border security.

Meanwhile, the President of the Canadian Association of Refugee Lawyers, Aisling Bondy, warned that deportations could rise further if Bill C-12, known as the border bill, is passed.

“One of the clauses in that bill is that a lot of people will be permanently banned from filing a refugee claim in Canada,” she said.

An analysis of CBSA figures shows that Nigeria is the only African country listed among the top 10 deported nationalities in 2025. Other African countries are grouped under “remaining nationals,” which together accounted for 6,233 removals during the year.

The top 10 countries for deportations in 2025 are Mexico (3,972), India (2,831), Haiti (2,012), Colombia (737), Romania (672), United States (656), Venezuela (562), China (385), Nigeria (366), and Pakistan (359).

A similar trend appears in the removal-in-progress list, where Nigeria, with 974 pending cases, is again the only African country in the top 10. India leads with 6,515 cases, followed by Mexico (4,650), United States (1,704), China (1,430), Nigeria (974), Colombia (895), Pakistan (863), Haiti (741), Brazil (650), and Chile (621).

Despite the rising deportations, Canada remains a top destination for Nigerians seeking better economic and educational opportunities. The 2021 Canadian census showed that over 40,000 Nigerians migrated to Canada between 2016 and 2021, making them the largest African immigrant group and the fifth-largest recent immigrant population.

Further figures from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) reveal that 6,600 Nigerians became new permanent residents in the first four months of 2024, ranking fourth after India, the Philippines, and China. Between 2005 and 2024, a total of 71,459 Nigerians acquired Canadian citizenship, placing Nigeria 10th globally.

Canada’s ageing population and persistent labour shortages continue to attract skilled Nigerian professionals and students, even as immigration enforcement tightens.

Canada Deports 366 Nigerians in 10 Months as Immigration Crackdown Intensifies