Canada has deported 366 Nigerians between January and October 2025, while another 974 are currently listed for removal, as authorities stepped up immigration enforcement at a pace not seen in over a decade.
Data from the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) removals programme show that Nigeria ranked ninth among the 10 nationalities most affected by deportations during the period under review.
The figures, last updated on November 25, 2025, also placed Nigeria fifth on the list of countries with the highest number of nationals awaiting removal.
A review of the statistics indicates that deportations of Nigerians from Canada have varied over the years.
In 2019, 339 Nigerians were removed, a figure that dropped to 302 in 2020, 242 in 2021 and 199 in 2022.
Nigeria did not appear among the top 10 countries in 2023 and 2024 but returned to the list in 2025 with 366 deportations recorded within 10 months—an increase of about eight per cent compared with 2019.
The removals are part of a broader clampdown by Canadian authorities, with the CBSA now deporting close to 400 foreign nationals weekly.
In the 2024–2025 fiscal year alone, 18,048 people were removed at a cost of about $78 million.
Under Canada’s Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, the CBSA is required to enforce removal orders against foreign nationals found inadmissible.
Grounds for removal include security concerns, criminality, organised crime, violations of human or international rights, health or financial issues, misrepresentation and breaches of immigration rules.
Official figures show that failed refugee claimants account for about 83 per cent of deportations, while criminal offences make up roughly four per cent.
Canadian law recognises three categories of removal orders: departure orders, which require individuals to leave within 30 days; exclusion orders, which bar re-entry for a period of one to five years; and deportation orders, which permanently prohibit return unless special authorisation is granted.
The Canadian government has said the intensified enforcement is aimed at tightening immigration targets and addressing pressures linked to housing shortages, labour market demands and border security.
It has committed an additional $30.5 million over three years to strengthen removal operations, alongside a $1.3 billion investment in border security.
President of the Canadian Association of Refugee Lawyers, Aisling Bondy, has warned that deportations could rise further if Bill C-12, known as the border bill, is passed, noting that some provisions would permanently bar certain individuals from making refugee claims.
Analysis of the CBSA data shows that Nigeria is the only African country among the top 10 nationalities deported in 2025.
Other African countries were grouped under “remaining nationals,” which accounted for 6,233 removals during the year. Mexico topped the list with 3,972 removals, followed by India (2,831), Haiti (2,012), Colombia (737), Romania (672), the United States (656), Venezuela (562), China (385), Nigeria (366) and Pakistan (359).
In the removal-in-progress category, Nigeria is also the only African country in the top 10, with 974 cases. India leads the list with 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 crackdown, Canada remains a major destination for Nigerians seeking education, work and better living conditions.
Census data indicate that more than 40,000 Nigerians migrated to Canada between 2016 and 2021, making them the largest African immigrant group and the fifth-largest recent immigrant population.
Immigration figures further show that 6,600 Nigerians gained permanent residency in the first four months of 2024 alone, ranking them fourth behind India, the Philippines and China.
Between 2005 and 2024, over 71,000 Nigerians acquired Canadian citizenship, reflecting Canada’s continued appeal amid labour shortages and an ageing population.
