Record number of Indian nationals removed from Canada in 2025: CBSA data

For comparison, in 2019, Indians accounted for only 625 removals out of 11,269. Indians lead when it comes to removals, at 6,515 out of a total of 29,542.

Toronto: A record number of Indian nationals were removed from Canada by the country’s authorities, surpassing the high set in 2024.

Removal, under certain circumstances, does not mean the individual cannot attempt to come back to Canada, though that process became more expensive this spring. (Bloomberg/Representational Image)

In the first ten months of this year, the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) enforced removals of 2,831 Indians, out of a total of 18,969.

That figure for the ten months of 2025 is already over 41% higher than the 1,997 Indians that were removed last year.

For comparison, in 2019, Indians accounted for only 625 removals out of 11,269. Indians lead when it comes to removals in progress, at 6,515 out of a total of 29,542.

The overall numbers have also jumped this year from the 17,357 recorded in 2024. Citizens of Mexico continue to form the largest cohort when it comes to enforced removals, at 3,972 this year as against 3,683 in 2024, as per CBSA removals data.

The category with the highest numbers was that for non-compliance related to refugee claims, at 15,605.

In a year-end release, CBSA stated, “Of these, 841 were subject to serious inadmissibility (national security, organised crime, human rights violations, and criminality).” Those numbers are for the total figure and are not broken down by nationality. At least five persons have been removed from Canada due to their connection to extortion-related violence.

CBSA added its liaison officers, located across the world intervened in 5,889 cases to recommend that airlines not allow a passenger to board a flight to Canada based on concerns over the validity of their travel documents.

Law enforcement is also seeking expeditious removal of criminals. On October 10, in a release, Peel Regional Police (PRP), for the first time, stated it was “actively engaged with the Peel Crown Attorney’s Office and the Canada Border Services Agency which will determine whether removal of accused foreign nationals from Canada may be pursued as part of the judicial process.”

That was in connection with the arrest of eight men in connection with the alleged theft of 450 pieces of mail, totalling a combined worth of more than 400,000 Canadian dollars.

Those arrested face a combined total of 344 charges and were identified as Sumanpreet Singh, Gurdeep Chattha, Jashandeep Jattana, Harman Singh, Jasanpreet Singh, Manroop Singh, Rajbir Singh, and Upinderjit Singh.

Removal, under certain circumstances, does not mean the individual cannot attempt to come back to Canada, though that process became more expensive this spring.

In January, the Canadian government announced that it was increasing costs for removed persons who waned to return to the country.

In a release issued in January, CBSA said under the new cost recovery framework, the fees will be adjusted from approximately 1,500 Canadian dollars previously to just over 12,800 Canadian dollars for escorted removals and just over $3,800 Canadian dollars for unescorted removals, regardless of destination.

This measure came into force in April.

“Individuals being removed from Canada are required to pay for their own travel costs. In situations where the inadmissible person is unable or unwilling to pay, the CBSA covers the cost to ensure that they are removed in a timely manner. Costs are recovered by the Government of Canada when an individual who was removed at the government’s expense seeks to return to Canada,” the statement said.