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By Lizzy Chirkpi
Canada has deported at least 366 Nigerian nationals between January and October 2025, as immigration enforcement intensified in more than a decade, according to official data.
Figures from the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) removals programme also show that another 974 Nigerians are currently classified under “removal in progress,” meaning they are awaiting deportation.
The data, last updated on November 25, 2025, ranked Nigeria ninth among the top 10 countries whose citizens were removed from Canada during the period. Nigeria also placed fifth among nationalities with the largest number of people awaiting removal.
Historical records reveal fluctuating deportation figures for Nigerians over recent years. In 2019, Canada removed 339 Nigerians, a number that 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.
However, the country returned to the list in 2025, with 366 deportations recorded within just 10 months representing an increase of roughly eight per cent compared to the 2019 figure.
This rise coincides with a wider immigration enforcement drive by Canadian authorities. The CBSA is now removing nearly 400 foreign nationals every week, the fastest deportation rate recorded in over 10 years.
In the 2024–2025 fiscal year alone, Canada deported 18,048 people at an estimated cost of $78 million.
Under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, the CBSA is required to remove any foreign national subject to an enforceable removal order. Individuals may be ruled inadmissible for reasons including criminality, security concerns, misrepresentation, health or financial grounds, or failure to comply with immigration rules.
CBSA statistics indicate that about 83 per cent of deportees are failed refugee claimants whose asylum applications were rejected, while cases linked to criminality account for roughly four per cent of removals.
Canadian law provides for three categories of removal orders: departure orders, which require individuals to leave within 30 days; exclusion orders, which prohibit re-entry for between one and five years; and deportation orders, which permanently bar return unless special authorisation is granted.
An examination of 2025 deportation figures shows that Nigeria is the only African country among the top 10 nationalities removed from Canada. Other African countries were grouped under “remaining nationals,” accounting for a combined 6,233 deportations.
The countries with the highest number of deportations in 2025 were 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).
Nigeria also stands out as the only African nation among the top 10 in the “removal in progress” category, which is led by India (6,515), followed by Mexico (4,650), the United States (1,704), China (1,430), and Nigeria (974).
Canadian officials say the tougher deportation push is designed to meet revised immigration targets and reduce pressure related to housing shortages, labour market strain, and border security challenges. To support the effort, the government has allocated an additional $30.5 million over three years for removals, alongside a $1.3 billion investment in border security.
Refugee advocates, however, have raised concerns about the direction of policy. President of the Canadian Association of Refugee Lawyers, Aisling Bondy, warned that removals could rise further if Bill C-12 commonly referred to as the “border bill” is passed.
“One of the clauses in that bill would permanently bar many people from making refugee claims in Canada,” she said.
Despite stricter immigration controls, Canada remains a key destination for Nigerians seeking education, employment, and better living standards.
The 2021 Canadian census showed that more than 40,000 Nigerians migrated to Canada between 2016 and 2021, making them the largest African migrant group and the fifth-largest recent immigrant population overall.
Data from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada also indicate that 6,600 Nigerians obtained permanent residency in the first four months of 2024 alone, ranking fourth behind India, the Philippines, and China.
Between 2005 and 2024, more than 71,000 Nigerians became Canadian citizens, placing Nigeria among the top 10 source countries for new citizens.
As Canada grapples with an ageing population and persistent labour shortages, skilled Nigerian professionals and students continue to be drawn to the country, even as immigration enforcement grows increasingly strict.