No fewer than 974 Nigerians are currently facing deportation from Canada as the country intensifies immigration enforcement at its fastest pace in more than a decade.
Official data from the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) shows that the Nigerians are listed under Canada’s “removal in progress” inventory. Nigeria is the only African country among the top 10 nationalities with the highest number of people awaiting removal.
According to the CBSA, Nigeria ranks fifth globally in the number of nationals awaiting deportation. India tops the list with 6,515 persons, followed by Mexico (4,650), the United States (1,704), China (1,430), and Nigeria (974).
Other countries in the top 10 include Colombia, Pakistan, Haiti, Brazil and Chile.
Between January and October 2025, Canada deported 366 Nigerians, placing Nigeria ninth among the top 10 nationalities removed during the period.
Historical data shows Nigerian deportations fell steadily from 339 in 2019 to 199 in 2022, with Nigeria absent from the top 10 list in 2023 and 2024.
However, in 2025, deportations surged again, with 366 Nigerians removed in 10 months, about eight per cent higher than in 2019.
The spike comes amid a broader enforcement drive by Canadian authorities. CBSA data indicates that Canada is now deporting nearly 400 people weekly, the highest rate in over a decade.
In the 2024 – 2025 fiscal year, Canada deported 18,048 people, spending about $78 million on removals.
Under Canadian law, the CBSA must remove any foreign national with an enforceable removal order.
According to the CBSA, removals are largely driven by failed refugee claims, which account for about 83 per cent of cases. Other reasons include criminality, security concerns, misrepresentation, immigration violations, health grounds and financial inadmissibility.
Canadian law recognises three types of removal orders, departure, exclusion and deportation, with deportation orders permanently barring re-entry unless special permission is granted.
