3.1.2026
Canadian immigration authorities deported 366 Nigerians between January and October 2025 as the country stepped up her immigration enforcement.
According to data obtained from the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) removals programme, an additional 974 Nigerians are currently listed under “removal in progress,” awaiting deportation.
The statistics, last updated on November 25, 2025, placed Nigeria ninth among the top 10 countries whose nationals were removed from Canada during the period under review. Nigeria also ranked fifth among nationalities with the highest number of people awaiting removal.
A review of historical data indicates that deportations of Nigerians from Canada have varied 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 appear among the top 10 deported nationalities in 2023 and 2024 but returned to the list in 2025, recording 366 deportations within just 10 months. This marks an increase of about eight per cent compared to the 2019 figure.
The surge coincides with a broader immigration crackdown by Canadian authorities.
The CBSA is now deporting close to 400 foreign nationals every week, the highest rate recorded in over 10 years.
In the 2024-2025 fiscal year alone, Canada removed 18,048 persons at an estimated cost of $78 million.
Under Canada’s Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, the CBSA is mandated to remove any foreign national with an enforceable removal order.
A person may be deemed inadmissible for reasons ranging from criminality and security concerns to misrepresentation, health issues, financial reasons, or failure to comply with immigration regulations.
The top countries for 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).
Similarly, Nigeria is the only African country 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 authorities say the intensified deportation drive is aimed at meeting revised immigration targets and easing pressures linked to housing shortages, labour market strain, and border security.