Canada deported 366 Nigerian nationals between January and October 2025 as immigration authorities stepped up enforcement at a pace not seen in more than a decade, official data have shown.
Figures from the Canada Border Services Agency’s removals programme also indicated that 974 Nigerians are currently listed under “removal in progress”, meaning they are awaiting deportation.
The statistics, last updated on November 25, 2025, ranked Nigeria 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.
Historical data revealed fluctuating deportation figures in recent years. In 2019, Canada removed 339 Nigerians. The number dropped 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 removals recorded within just 10 months—an eight per cent increase compared with 2019.
The removals are taking place amid a broader immigration enforcement drive by Canadian authorities. The CBSA is now deporting nearly 400 foreign nationals weekly, marking the highest weekly removal rate in more than a decade. In the 2024–2025 fiscal year alone, Canada removed 18,048 individuals, spending about $78m on the exercise.
Under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, the CBSA is legally required to remove any foreign national subject to an enforceable removal order. Individuals may be declared inadmissible on grounds including security concerns, human or international rights violations, criminal activity, organised crime, health or financial reasons, misrepresentation and failure to comply with immigration regulations.
Data showed that failed refugee claimants account for the bulk of removals, making up about 83 per cent of cases, while criminality-related removals represent roughly four per cent.
Canadian law recognises three categories of removal orders: departure orders, which require exit within 30 days; exclusion orders, which bar re-entry for between one and five years; and deportation orders, which permanently prohibit return unless special authorisation is granted.
The Canadian government said the intensified deportation drive forms part of efforts to meet tighter immigration targets and address challenges such as housing shortages, labour market pressure and border security concerns. To support this, Ottawa has earmarked an additional $30.5m over three years for removals, alongside a $1.3bn commitment to strengthen border security.
President of the Canadian Association of Refugee Lawyers, Aisling Bondy, warned that deportations could rise further if Bill C-12—popularly referred to 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,” Bondy said.
An analysis of CBSA data showed that Nigeria is the only African country listed among the top 10 nationalities deported in 2025. Other African countries fall under the category of “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), the United States (656), Venezuela (562), China (385), Nigeria (366) and Pakistan (359).
A similar trend was reflected in the removal-in-progress inventory, where Nigeria, with 974 individuals awaiting deportation, again emerged as the only African country in the top 10. India topped the list with 6,515 cases, 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 rising deportation figures, Canada remains a major destination for Nigerians seeking better economic and educational opportunities. The 2021 Canadian census showed that more than 40,000 Nigerians migrated to Canada between 2016 and 2021, making them the fifth-largest group of recent immigrants and the largest African migrant population in the country.
Further data from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada revealed that 6,600 Nigerians became new permanent residents within the first four months of 2024 alone, ranking them fourth after India, the Philippines and China. Between 2005 and 2024, a total of 71,459 Nigerians acquired Canadian citizenship, placing Nigeria 10th among countries of origin for new Canadian citizens.
Canada’s ageing population and persistent labour shortages continue to make the country attractive to skilled Nigerian professionals and students, even as immigration enforcement tightens.
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