The latest data released by the Canada Border Services Agency has placed Nigeria ninth among the ten countries with the highest number of deported nationals within the review period.

The figures also show that Nigeria ranked fifth among countries with the largest backlog of pending removals, reflecting a notable shift in North American immigration enforcement trends.

CBSA records indicate that 366 Nigerian nationals were deported between January and October 2025.

This number represents the highest level of removals involving Nigerian citizens recorded in the past decade.

In addition to completed deportations, 974 Nigerians are currently classified under the status “removal in progress”.

This designation means the affected individuals are awaiting the completion of deportation procedures from Canada.

Nigeria remains the only African country to appear in the top ten lists for both completed removals and pending deportations.

On the global ranking for completed removals in 2025, Mexico recorded the highest number with 3,972 deportations.

India followed with 2,831 completed removals, while Haiti ranked third with 2,012 deported nationals.

Nigeria occupied the ninth position on the list, with 366 completed deportations recorded within the period under review.

Other countries in the top ten for completed removals include Colombia with 737, Romania with 672, the United States with 656, Venezuela with 562, China with 385, and Pakistan with 359 deportees.

With respect to pending deportations classified as “removals in progress”, India topped the list with 6,515 cases.

Mexico followed with 4,650 pending removals, while the United States recorded 1,704 individuals awaiting deportation.

Nigeria ranked fifth in this category, with 974 nationals currently in the deportation pipeline.

The remaining countries on the top ten list for pending removals include China with 1,430 cases, Colombia with 895, Pakistan with 863, Haiti with 741, Brazil with 650, and Chile with 621.

The reappearance of Nigeria among the top ten deported nationalities marks a significant departure from trends observed in recent years.

In 2019, a total of 339 Nigerians were deported from Canada.

This figure declined steadily during the COVID-19 pandemic period, dropping to 199 deportations in 2022.

Nigeria did not feature in the top ten deportation rankings for either 2023 or 2024.

However, the 2025 data represents an 8 percent increase compared to 2019 levels, despite covering only ten months of the year.

The rise in deportations aligns with a broader policy shift in Canada, where the CBSA is now removing an average of 400 foreign nationals every week.

During the 2024–2025 fiscal year, Canadian authorities deported a total of 18,048 individuals.

The deportation exercise during the period was carried out at an estimated public cost of $78m, equivalent to £44m.

Under Canada’s Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, the CBSA is legally mandated to remove any foreign national deemed inadmissible.

Grounds for removal range from national security concerns and criminal convictions to financial inadmissibility and violations of visa conditions.

However, the data shows that “failed refugee claimants” account for the majority of deportations.

According to the records, this group constitutes 83 percent of all removals carried out by Canadian authorities.