At least, 1,674 Nigerians were among 40,817 illegal immigrants deported from Canada to their respective home countries in the past six years. 

Data from the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), responsible for removing any foreign national who is in Canada illegally, shows that Nigeria ranks 5th among top 10 countries with illegal immigrants deported from Canada from 2020 to 2026. 

With 1,647 deportees, Nigerians constitute 4.01 per cent of the total 40,817 illegal immigrants removed from Canada in the period under review. 

Out of the 40,817 illegal immigrants forcefully removed from Canada between 2020 and 2026, there are 7,669 Indians, 6,561 Mexicans, 1,892 Chinese and 1,237  Colombians. 

While 968 Bangladeshi and 179 Americans were among those deported from Canada in the past six years, Pakistan, Brazil, Chile have over 1,000 of their citizens deported from Canada in the same period. 

The CBSA said “Removing individuals who do not have the right to enter or stay in Canada is essential to maintaining the integrity of Canada’s immigration program and to ensuring fairness for those who come to this country lawfully. 

Under the Canadian immigration law, there are three types of removal orders namely, departure orders, exclusion orders and deportation orders. 

Each of the 40,817 individuals, among which are 1,674 Nigerians, illegal immigrants removed from Canada in the past six years fall under one of the listed categories. 

The CBSA explained that those removed based on departure orders are required “to leave Canada within 30 days after the order becomes enforceable. If the individual does not leave Canada within 30 days, a deportation order is issued.” 

It added, “Exclusion orders dictate that the individual cannot return to Canada for 1 year unless they obtain a written authorization to return. If the exclusion order is issued because the individual has misrepresented themselves, they will not be allowed to return to Canada for 5 years.

“Deportation orders permanently bar the individual from returning to Canada, unless they obtain written authorization to return Canada.”