Canada deported 366 Nigerian nationals between January and October 2025, according to official figures, as immigration enforcement in the country rose to its highest level in more than a decade.
Data from the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) removals program also show that 974 Nigerians are currently listed as “removal in progress,” meaning they are awaiting deportation.
The statistics, last updated on November 25, 2025, place Nigeria ninth among the top 10 nationalities deported from Canada during the period under review, and fifth in the number of foreign nationals pending removal.
A review of historical data indicates fluctuating deportation figures over the years. In 2019, Canada removed 339 Nigerians, followed by 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 re-entered the list in 2025, with 366 removals recorded within just 10 months, an eight per cent increase compared to 2019.
The rise comes amid a broader enforcement push by Canadian authorities. The CBSA is now removing nearly 400 foreign nationals each week, marking the most aggressive deportation pace in over a decade. In the 2024–2025 fiscal year alone, Canada deported 18,048 individuals at an estimated cost of $78 million.
Under Canada’s Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, the CBSA is mandated to remove any foreign national subject to an enforceable removal order. Grounds for inadmissibility include security concerns, criminality, human or international rights violations, organized crime, health and financial reasons, misrepresentation, and failure to comply with immigration regulations.
Failed refugee claimants account for approximately 83 per cent of all removals, while cases linked to criminality represent about four per cent.
Canadian law recognizes three types of removal orders: departure orders, which require individuals to leave within 30 days; exclusion orders, which bar re-entry for one to five years; and deportation orders, which permanently prohibit return unless special authorization is granted.
The latest figures underscore growing immigration pressures facing Nigerians abroad and highlight the tightening of migration controls across major Western destinations.
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