Canada deported 3,323 Indian nationals during the first six months of 2026, putting the country on course to record its highest-ever annual number of removals of Indian citizens, according to data released by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA). The figure recorded between January and June is already close to the total number of Indians deported by Canada throughout the whole of 2025, when 3,779 Indian nationals were removed from the country.
The latest figures show a sharp increase in the pace of deportations and underline the growing scrutiny faced by foreign nationals amid Canada’s efforts to strengthen immigration enforcement. The 3,323 Indian nationals removed during the first half of 2026 represent nearly 88 per cent of the total Indian removals recorded in Canada in all of 2025. If the current trend continues through the remainder of the year, the 2026 figure could exceed last year’s record.
The number is also significantly higher than the corresponding figure for Indians deported from the United States. According to data disclosed by India’s Ministry of External Affairs, 1,273 Indian nationals had been deported from the US up to July this year. Canada’s six-month figure is therefore more than two-and-a-half times the number of Indians sent back from the US during the comparable period.
Canada had already removed more Indian nationals than the United States during 2025. Last year, Canada deported 3,779 Indians, compared with 3,567 deported by the US. The latest Canadian figures further indicate that Indians have emerged as the nationality group facing the largest number of removals in the country during the first half of 2026, overtaking Mexican nationals.
India was last the leading source country for removals from Canada in 2020, when 1,424 Indian nationals were sent back. The latest CBSA data also shows that Indians constitute the largest group in Canada’s inventory of removals currently in progress, with 7,669 cases.
The CBSA data does not provide a country-wise breakdown explaining the specific reasons for each removal. However, the sharp increase comes against the backdrop of heightened attention to criminal activity involving some Indian nationals, particularly allegations linked to extortion and organised crime in parts of Canada. The issue has received particular attention in the Greater Toronto Area, Surrey in British Columbia and Alberta cities including Edmonton and Calgary.
Reports cited by Canadian media have also highlighted concerns over the alleged exploitation of international student and temporary worker pathways by organised criminal networks. According to a document from the CBSA’s Intelligence and Investigations Directorate cited in media reports, investigations have increasingly identified some Indian nationals holding study and work permits in connection with organised criminal activity. The document also pointed to an upward trend in extortion-related charges among Indian student permit holders.
The figures cited in the report indicate that the issue extends beyond immigration violations and includes cases involving criminal proceedings. Between 2019 and 2023, around 4,000 Indian nationals holding Canadian study permits were charged with a combined 17,929 offences. In 2024 alone, more than 13,040 criminal charges were reportedly laid against Indian nationals who held Canadian study permits. These figures, however, relate to criminal charges and should not be interpreted as meaning that all such individuals were deported or that criminality was the reason for every removal.
The surge in deportations comes at a time when Canada is tightening its immigration framework and seeking to reduce the number of temporary residents, including international students and temporary foreign workers. Canadian authorities have increased enforcement against people who no longer meet the requirements to remain in the country, adding to concerns among prospective migrants and the large Indian community in Canada.
For Indian students, workers and other temporary residents in Canada, the latest figures highlight the importance of complying with immigration and permit conditions. With more than 3,300 Indian nationals already removed in just six months, the 2026 figures are likely to remain a significant indicator of Canada’s changing immigration and enforcement policies. If the current pace continues, this year could establish a new annual record for the deportation of Indian nationals from Canada.
