Canada is seeing a marked increase in the number of Indian nationals being forcibly removed from its territory, according to recent data from the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA). As of July 28, 2025, the number of Indians deported stood at 1,891 — already surpassing previous annual records. This follows a clear upward trend: in 2019 the total was just 625, less than a third of today’s figure.
In 2024, the total number of Indian nationals removed from Canada was 1,997, placing India second among foreign-nationalities subjected to deportation — trailing only Mexicans, who numbered 3,683. The broader inventory of removals currently includes 30,733 cases, of which 27,103 involve refugee claimants. Indians form the largest individual nationality cohort in this backlog, with 6,837 cases under ‘removals in progress’, followed by 5,170 Mexicans and 1,734 U.S. nationals.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney recently affirmed that the government is intensifying efforts to remove foreign nationals deemed inadmissible — especially those on temporary resident or asylum-seeker status — and that reforms are underway to streamline the process. Analysts point to multiple drivers behind this escalation: an increasingly restrictive immigration environment in Canada, rising public and political concerns about immigration volumes, pressures on housing and services, and the growing backlog of individuals whose legal status is under review.
India’s share of removals has climbed sharply — the 2024 figure of 1,997 represents a significant jump compared with prior years, and projections suggest the 2025 number will be even higher. The CBSA has underscored that removal orders are executed only after all legal recourse is exhausted. Still, the magnitude of the trend is raising concerns among Indian nationals residing in Canada, many of whom came as students or temporary workers and are now confronting changing policy dynamics.
Experts say that policy changes are converging: Canada has announced reductions in the intake of both permanent and temporary residents, including students and foreign workers, in recognition of infrastructure, housing and social-service constraints. Meanwhile, Indian migrants are facing delays and tighter restrictions on work permits and renewal of status — exemplified by a sharp increase in the wait time for Labour Market Impact Assessments (LMIA), a key step for many temporary residents.
The implications of this trend are significant for the Indian-diaspora community in Canada. Many who had arrived on student visas or through temporary worker routes now find their long-term prospects uncertain. Some are subject to removal orders, others face extended administrative limbo. For India, a major source of migrants and international students for Canada, the shift signals growing friction in a migration pipeline that previously appeared robust.
In sum, Canada’s immigration enforcement mechanisms are tightening and India is increasingly caught in the spotlight — Indian nationals are now being removed in record numbers, and the broader structural shift means many migrant-hopefuls face a more precarious environment than in past years.
