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The Canadian government says it is intensifying deportations to tighten immigration targets and address concerns over housing shortages, labour market pressures, and border security.

It also allocated an additional $30.5m over three years to bolster removal efforts, while committing $1.3bn to enhance border security.

President of the Canadian Association of Refugee Lawyers, Aisling Bondy, had expressed concern that deportations may ramp up further if Bill C-12, also known as the ‘border bill,’ passes.

“One of the clauses in that bill is that a lot of people will be permanently banned from filing a refugee claim in Canada,” Bondy said.

Analysis of the CBSA data revealed that Nigeria is the only African country featured in the top 10 nationalities for deportations in 2025.

Other African nations are grouped under “remaining nationals,” which accounted for 6,233 removals in 2025.

The top 10 countries for removals in 2025 are: Mexico (3,972), India (2,831), Haiti (2,012), Colombia (737), Romania (672), United States (656), Venezuela (562), China (385), Nigeria (366), and Pakistan (359).

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Similarly, in the removal-in-progress record, Nigeria (974) is the only African country listed in the top 10. The inventory is led by India (6,515), followed by Mexico (4,650), the United States (1,704), China (1,430), Nigeria (974), Colombia (895), Pakistan (863), Haiti (741), Brazil (650), and Chile (621).

Canada remains a popular destination for Nigerians seeking better opportunities. According to the 2021 Canadian census, over 40,000 Nigerians moved to Canada between 2016 and 2021, making them the fifth-largest recent immigrant group and the largest population of African migrants to Canada.

Data from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada showed that 6,600 Nigerians arrived as new permanent residents in the first four months of 2024, making Nigerians the fourth-largest international population to obtain permanent residency, after India, the Philippines, and China.

Between 2005 and 2024, over 71,459 Nigerians obtained Canadian citizenship, placing Nigeria 10th among source countries for new Canadian citizens.

Canada’s ageing population and labour shortages have made it an attractive destination for skilled professionals and students from Nigeria.

The Punch