The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) has released the statistics regarding removal of foreign nationals who are in Canada illegally or lost their immigration status due to the violation of legal provisions of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA). The CBSA is the agency responsible to enforce such removals.
The following tables, including data from the past five years and quarterly statistics for 2024, provide a comprehensive overview of the CBSA’s removals program. These statistics highlighting trends and patterns in the enforcement of immigration laws in Canada.
Source: Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA)
Legal References in the Table
Section 36 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) deals with criminality and serious criminality as grounds for inadmissibility to Canada.
Section 37 of the Act addresses inadmissibility on grounds of organized criminality.
Section 40 of the IRPA deals with inadmissibility due to misrepresentation.
Section 40.1 of the Act addresses inadmissibility due to cessation of refugee protection.
Section 41 of the Act addresses inadmissibility due to non-compliance with the Act including residency obligation.
Analysis
Based on the data from the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) removals program, several trends are evident over the years:
Fluctuations in Total Removals: The total number of enforced removals has varied significantly across different regions and years. For example, the Greater Toronto Area consistently shows high numbers, with a peak in 2024
Regional Variations: Different regions show varying trends in removals. For instance, the Quebec region saw significant variations, with a peak in 2023 and higher numbers in 2024
Atlantic Region: The number of removals fluctuated over the years, with a notable increase in 2023 and a slight decrease in 2024.
Quebec Region: Saw significant variations, with a peak in 2023 and a high number of removals in 2024.
Northern Ontario Region: Removals remained relatively stable, with a slight increase in 2024.
Greater Toronto Area Region: Consistently high numbers, with a peak in 2024.
Southern Ontario Region: Experienced fluctuations, with a notable increase in 2023 and a decrease in 2024.
Prairie Region: Numbers varied, with a peak in 2023 and a slight decrease in 2024.
Pacific Region: Showed significant variations, with a peak in 2023 and a high number of removals in 2024.
Reasons for Inadmissibility
Security: Removals due to security reasons remained relatively low.
Criminality: A significant number of removals were due to criminality, with fluctuations over the years.
Health Grounds: Removals due to health grounds were minimal.
Financial Reasons: A small number of removals were due to financial reasons.
Misrepresentation: A notable number of removals were due to misrepresentation, with an increase in 2024.
Non-compliance: The majority of removals were due to non-compliance with immigration laws.