Toronto: Canada recorded its highest number of deportations in nearly a decade last year, with the vast majority involving individuals whose refugee claims were denied, according to data obtained by Reuters.
By late November 2024, removals had reached their highest level since at least 2015, when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government took office. The government has also allocated additional funds to accelerate deportations this year.
As Trudeau’s tenure nears its end, his administration has sought to demonstrate a tougher stance on immigration amid a growing backlog of refugee claims and increasing concerns that migration is straining Canada’s housing supply.
Increase in Deportations
The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) attributed the rise in removals to a “significant increase” in asylum applications since 2020, prompting efforts to enforce removal orders more efficiently.
Data requested by Reuters, which excludes voluntary departures and removals under a bilateral agreement with the United States, shows that Canada deported 7,300 individuals between January 1 and November 19, 2024. This marks an 8.4% increase from 2023 and a 95% jump from 2022.
Of those deported, 79% were removed due to failed refugee claims, up from 75% in 2023 and 66% in 2022. Another 11% were deported for violating the terms of their stay, such as overstaying a visa, while 7% were removed due to criminal convictions in Canada or abroad.
CBSA spokesperson Luke Reimer stated that deportation figures fluctuate but noted that “the number of removals of those who received a negative asylum determination has increased each year since emerging from the pandemic.” He emphasized that these removals are “essential in maintaining the integrity of Canada’s asylum system.”
Legal Concerns and Government Priorities
Critics argue that some deportees face removal even while appealing risk assessments regarding their return. Aisling Bondy, president of the Canadian Association of Refugee Lawyers, cautioned that individuals could be sent back to countries where they face persecution.
“They could be removed even if there is significant error in the risk determination,” Bondy said.
Reimer, however, asserted that CBSA enforces removal orders only after all legal avenues have been exhausted.
Audrey Macklin, a law professor and Human Rights Chair at the University of Toronto, suggested that the increase in deportations reflects government priorities.
“You can decide that you want to make a show of how many people you are deporting to show that you are effective at policing the border,” Macklin said. “Then you go with people who are easier to find and remove, and those are going to be, often, refugee claimants.”
She added that the prospect of deportation could deter potential asylum seekers.
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Rising Deportation Budget and Immigration Cuts
Canada is set to deport even more individuals in the coming years, having committed C$30.5 million ($21.3 million) over three years to ramp up removals. The CBSA spent C$65.8 million on deportations in 2023-24, up from C$56 million the previous year.
Simultaneously, Canada has pledged C$1.3 billion toward border security, a move seen as an effort to appease U.S. President Donald Trump, who has threatened trade tariffs on Canadian imports.
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The pool of individuals eligible for deportation is expected to grow. Canada is reducing both temporary and permanent immigration, with plans for over 1.2 million temporary residents—students and workers—to leave next year, followed by another 1.1 million the year after.
Immigration Minister Marc Miller has reaffirmed the government’s stance on removals.
“It is people’s choice not to leave, and if they don’t, they face the consequences—including, after due process, deportation,” he told Reuters last year.
