Canada deported 366 Nigerians between January and October 2025 as the country intensified immigration enforcement at its fastest pace in more than a decade, official data have shown.
Statistics obtained from the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) removals programme further revealed that 974 Nigerians are currently listed in Canada’s “removal-in-progress” inventory and are awaiting deportation.
The data, last updated on November 25, 2025, indicated that Nigeria ranked ninth among the top 10 nationalities deported from Canada during the period under review. Nigeria also placed fifth among countries with the highest number of individuals awaiting removal.
A review of historical figures showed 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 feature among the top 10 deported nationalities in 2023 and 2024 but returned to the list in 2025, with 366 deportations recorded within just 10 months—representing an eight per cent increase compared with 2019.
The rise in deportations coincides with Canada’s broader immigration crackdown, with the CBSA now removing nearly 400 foreign nationals weekly, the highest rate recorded in over 10 years. In the 2024–2025 fiscal year alone, Canada deported 18,048 people at a cost of approximately $78m.
Under Canada’s Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, the CBSA is mandated to remove any foreign national with an enforceable removal order. Individuals may be declared inadmissible for reasons including security concerns, human or international rights violations, criminality, organised crime, health issues, financial reasons, misrepresentation, or failure to comply with immigration rules.
Data showed that failed refugee claimants accounted for about 83 per cent of all removals, while criminality-related cases made up roughly four per cent.
Canadian law recognises three categories of removal orders: departure orders, which require individuals to leave the country within 30 days; exclusion orders, which bar re-entry for one to five years; and deportation orders, which permanently prohibit return unless special authorisation is granted.
The Canadian government has said the intensified deportation drive is part of efforts to meet revised immigration targets and address mounting concerns over housing shortages, labour market pressures and border security. To support this, Ottawa allocated an additional $30.5m over three years to strengthen removal operations, alongside a separate $1.3bn commitment to border security.
Concerns have been raised by immigration advocates that deportations could increase further if Bill C-12, commonly referred to as the “border bill,” is passed into law. The President of the Canadian Association of Refugee Lawyers, Aisling Bondy, warned that some provisions in the bill could permanently bar many individuals from making refugee claims in Canada.
An analysis of the CBSA figures showed that Nigeria was the only African country listed among the top 10 nationalities deported in 2025. Other African countries were grouped under “remaining nationals,” which collectively accounted for 6,233 removals during the year.
Mexico topped the list with 3,972 deportations, 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).
Nigeria also emerged as the only African country in the top 10 list of individuals awaiting removal. The category was led by India with 6,515 cases, followed by Mexico (4,650), the United States (1,704), China (1,430) and Nigeria (974).
Despite the crackdown, Canada remains a major destination for Nigerians seeking improved economic and educational opportunities. According to the 2021 Canadian census, more than 40,000 Nigerians migrated to Canada between 2016 and 2021, making them the largest African migrant population and the fifth-largest recent immigrant group in the country.
Figures from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada showed that 6,600 Nigerians became new permanent residents within the first four months of 2024, ranking fourth behind India, the Philippines and China.
Between 2005 and 2024, no fewer than 71,459 Nigerians obtained Canadian citizenship, placing Nigeria 10th among source countries for new citizens.
Canada’s ageing population and persistent labour shortages have continued to drive demand for skilled professionals and international students, reinforcing its appeal among Nigerian migrants despite the tightening of immigration controls.
