…366 deported in 10months in 2025
No fewer than 974 Nigerians are currently awaiting deportation in Canada, according to available data.
They are listed in the country’s “removal-in-progress” queue, indicating that deportation processes have commenced but are yet to be concluded.
Canadian authorities deported 366 Nigerians between January and October 2025. Of this number, about 83 per cent were failed refugee claimants, while criminality accounted for roughly four per cent. Under Canadian law, individuals issued with enforceable removal orders are required to leave the country.
Outside the United Kingdom and the United States, Canada remains a major destination for Nigerians. Records show that more than 71,000 Nigerians acquired Canadian citizenship between 2005 and 2024, with thousands more arriving annually as students, workers and permanent residents.
The 2025 figures represent a sharp increase, following Nigeria’s absence from the top 10 deportation list in 2023 and 2024. The data also reflect an eight per cent rise compared with 2019.
Canada is currently implementing an aggressive nationwide enforcement drive, deporting nearly 400 individuals weekly. In the 2024–2025 fiscal year alone, 18,048 foreign nationals were removed at an estimated cost of about $78 million.
Authorities say the intensified push is aimed at tightening immigration targets and easing pressure on housing, employment and border security. The effort is being supported with an additional $30.5 million allocated for removals and $1.3 billion for border enforcement.
Meanwhile, immigration lawyers have warned that deportations could rise further if Bill C-12 is passed, a move that could impose permanent bans on certain categories of refugee claims.
