Canada has removed more Indian nationals this year than ever before, surpassing even the previous year’s tally. Fresh year-end figures from the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) reveal that 2,831 Indians were deported in 2025, marking a significant rise in enforcement actions.
Sharp Rise in Removals
Between January and October 2025, the CBSA enforced 2,831 removals of Indian citizens out of a total of 18,969 cases, according to earlier reporting by HT. The increase is part of a broader trend: only 625 Indians were removed in 2019, compared with 1,997 in 2024 and now an all-time high this year.
While the agency did not specify a single reason behind the surge, officials noted that non-compliance related to refugee claims accounted for the bulk of removals. This category alone recorded 15,605 cases, making it the highest among all classifications.
Overall deportations from Canada also jumped from 17,357 in 2024 to 18,785 in 2025.
Indians Lead in ‘Removal in Progress’ Category
The data further shows that Indian nationals make up the largest share of people listed under “removal in progress”, with 6,515 cases out of 29,542. Despite this, Mexican nationals still topped the list for actual enforced removals, recording 3,972 deportations in 2025, up from 3,683 the previous year.
The CBSA added that among the non-compliance cases related to refugee claims, 841 individuals faced serious inadmissibility findings, including links to national security issues, organised crime, human rights violations, or criminality.
Indians also represent the largest group of asylum seekers in Canada, as previously reported by HT.
Criminal Cases Triggering Removals
Authorities noted that at least five individuals have been removed for their alleged involvement in extortion-related violence. Canadian law enforcement agencies have also increased pressure for the swift deportation of foreign nationals accused of criminal activity.
In October, the Peel Regional Police (PRP) stated publicly, for the first time, that it was working closely with prosecutors and the CBSA to determine whether foreign suspects could face removal as part of the judicial process. The update followed the arrest of eight men accused of stealing 450 pieces of mail worth more than 400,000 Canadian dollars.
The arrested individuals, identified as Sumanpreet Singh, Gurdeep Chattha, Jashandeep Jattana, Harman Singh, Jasanpreet Singh, Manroop Singh, Rajbir Singh and Upinderjit Singh, face a combined 344 charges.
Growing Anti-Immigrant Sentiment
The surge in removals comes against a backdrop of rising anti-immigrant rhetoric in Canada. In October, Prime Minister Mark Carney acknowledged that his government was working to speed up the deportation of foreign criminals, saying:
“The short answer is yes… there are plans to make it faster, to make it better resourced and to improve the tracking.”
These comments formed part of a broader set of proposed reforms to Canada’s immigration system.
Cost of Returning to Canada Rises Sharply
Importantly, deportation does not always bar a person from attempting to re-enter Canada. However, that path has become significantly more expensive. In January, the government announced a steep increase in fees for individuals seeking to return after removal.
Under the new cost recovery framework, enforced from April, fees rose from roughly 1,500 Canadian dollars to over 12,800 dollars for escorted removals and more than 3,800 dollars for unescorted removals, regardless of destination.
The CBSA clarified that people being removed are required to cover their own travel expenses. If they cannot, the government pays the costs upfront and later recovers the amount if the individual applies to return.
