By Ajibola Olaide, JKNewsMedia Reporter
DEPORTATION OF Nigerian nationals from Canada rose sharply within a 10-month period in 2025, with official data showing that hundreds were removed over issues linked to crimes, documentation and other immigration violations.
Records released by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) show that 366 Nigerians were deported between January and October 2025.
CBSA data stated that the removals were carried out for reasons bordering on criminal offences, improper documentation and other related grounds as the agency listed Nigerians among the nationalities affected by the deportation exercise during the period under review.
The CBSA also reported that Canada recently tightened its borders following what it described as abuse of the country’s liberal immigration policy and added that the tightening particularly affected professionals and individuals who presented themselves as possessing proven skills.
Investigations by Political Economist NG revealed what it described as a troubling pattern involving some Nigerian applicants.
The report said some individuals were generating documents, including university degrees and other certificates, in order to meet Canadian immigration requirements.
It was also reported that immigrant traffic to Canada was expected to increase this year linking the anticipated rise to the America First policy of United States (US) President Donald Trump, which it said had redlined and disqualified many Nigerians from entering the United States.
Immigrant traffic to Canada was also said to have been boosted by the general perception that the country offers more opportunities for immigrants, particularly in employment, compared with the United States (US) and the United Kingdom (UK), describing them as countries that were previously preferred destinations for many Nigerians.
Also, Nigerians were not the only nationals affected by the deportations as reports noted that the removals formed part of a broader immigration scrutiny aimed at cleaning up a country described as being noted for peace and harmony among its citizens.
Deportation records reviewed showed that some immigrants were sent back to their home countries shortly after arrival in Canada.
The records also showed that others were deported after they had lived in the country for some time.
Further data from the CBSA removals programme showed that 974 Nigerians were listed under Removal in Progress meaning that those listed are awaiting deportation from Canada.
The data placed Nigeria in 9th position among the top 10 nationalities deported from Canada during the period under review.
The same records showed that the 974 Nigerians awaiting deportation thus placing her the fifth country among nationalities listed for pending removal.
The CBSA data also highlighted broader challenges facing Canada saying it pointed to housing shortages, labour pressures, border security concerns and crimes that were largely traced to migrants.
Crimes associated with Nigerian nationals featured in the agency’s records globally acknowledging cybercrime known as 419, also referred to as advance fee fraud, featuring prominently among the crimes listed by the CBSA on its website.
The records indicated that immigration enforcement actions were part of ongoing efforts by Canadian authorities to address issues linked to migration.
It adds that the removal programme reflected a process involving identification, processing and deportation of foreign nationals found to be in violation of immigration laws whilst the CBSA data did not limit the deportations to a single category of offenders.
Its record showed that removals covered individuals linked to criminal activities as well as those found to have breached documentation requirements.
The tightening of Canada’s immigration process also followed concerns about abuse of entry pathways linking these concerns to cases involving falsified or improperly obtained documents submitted by some applicants.
The released CBSA figures provided a snapshot of enforcement actions within the first 10 months of 2025 with its data showing that deportations and pending removals affected a significant number of Nigerian nationals.
