Canada has deported 366 Nigerian nationals as part of a sweeping immigration enforcement effort that marks one of the most intensive removal operations in over a decade, official figures reveal.
Data from the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) show that the deportations occurred between January and October 2025, a period during which Nigeria re-entered the list of countries most affected by Canadian removals, ranking ninth among nationalities deported by Canadian authorities. The statistics, updated as of November 25, 2025, also indicate that an additional 974 Nigerians are currently listed in Canada’s “removal in progress” inventory, meaning they have enforceable deportation orders but are yet to be returned.
The recent surge in deportations comes amid a broader crackdown on irregular immigration by Canadian officials, with the CBSA reportedly removing nearly 400 foreign nationals each week, representing the highest weekly deportation rate the country has seen in more than ten years. In the 2024–2025 fiscal year alone, Canada deported 18,048 people at an estimated cost of about $78 million, according to CBSA data.
Under Canada’s Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, the CBSA is legally obliged to remove foreign nationals with enforceable removal orders. Individuals may be deemed inadmissible for a variety of reasons, including failure to comply with immigration regulations, misrepresentation, criminal convictions, security concerns, health issues, or violations of human and international rights. Data from the agency suggest that approximately 83 per cent of those deported were failed refugee claimants whose asylum applications were rejected, while cases involving criminality accounted for a smaller proportion.
Nigeria’s reappearance on the top ten list follows several years of fluctuating deportation numbers. In 2019, Canada deported 339 Nigerians, a figure that later declined before Nigeria dropped off the list entirely in 2023 and 2024. The 366 removals recorded so far for 2025 represent an eight per cent increase compared with the 2019 total, underscoring a notable shift in Canada’s immigration enforcement landscape.
The developments have reverberated across Nigerian diaspora communities and prompted renewed discussion on immigration, asylum policy and Canada’s evolving approach to border security. Many Nigerians migrate to Canada in search of better economic opportunities or to seek asylum on the basis of insecurity and hardship at home, with thousands filing refugee claims each year. According to other sources, Canada has also processed thousands of Nigerian asylum applications, with a significant number of claims being accepted, reflecting the complexity of migration patterns between the two countries.
