Canada Border Services Agency removals program statistics
The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) is responsible for removing any foreign national who is in Canada illegally, as soon as possible. Removing individuals who do not have the right to enter or stay in Canada is essential to maintaining the integrity of Canada's immigration program and to ensuring fairness for those who come to this country lawfully.
This page provides comprehensive statistics collected by the CBSA's removals program. It shows calendar and fiscal year data for 5 years, as well as quarterly statistics for 2024, the latest year for which data are available.
Removals by region
The CBSA collects removal data for all of Canada and organizes the data according to 7 regions.
Table 1.1: Total enforced removals by region (calendar year: 2019 to 2023 and quarterly for 2024)
Region
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024 Q1
2024 Q2
2024 Q3
2024 Q4
2024 Total
Atlantic Region
139
57
69
60
104
37
44
49
28
158
Quebec Region
2,633
5,920
1,592
2,487
6,021
2,040
1,704
1,464
1,739
6,947
Northern Ontario Region
386
284
234
294
410
100
107
130
152
489
Greater Toronto Area Region
4,343
4,499
3,655
2,714
4,304
1,536
1,432
1,222
1,212
5,402
Southern Ontario Region
898
204
304
698
1,346
317
246
239
273
1,075
Prairie Region
967
966
830
588
770
241
264
314
293
1,112
Pacific Region
1,903
921
829
1,478
2,252
638
483
568
485
2,174
Grand Total
11,269
12,851
7,513
8,319
15,207
4,909
4,280
3,986
4,182
17,357
Table 1.2: Total enforced removals by region (fiscal year: 2019 to 2023 and quarterly for 2024)
Under Canadian immigration regulations, there are 3 types of removal order. There are strict requirements for each type that determine if or how an individual can re-enter Canada.
Departure orders
require the individual to leave Canada within 30 days after the order becomes enforceable. If the individual does not leave Canada within 30 days, a deportation order is issued.
Exclusion orders
dictate that the individual cannot return to Canada for 1 year unless they obtain a written authorization to return. If the exclusion order is issued because the individual has misrepresented themselves, they will not be allowed to return to Canada for 5 years.
Deportation orders
permanently bar the individual from returning to Canada, unless they obtain written authorization to return Canada.
Table 3.1: Total enforced removals by removal order type (calendar year: 2019 to 2023 and quarterly for 2024)
Removal Order Type
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024 Q1
2024 Q2
2024 Q3
2024 Q4
2024 Total
Departure Order
2,287
1,356
939
971
2,180
1,048
1,008
1,098
1,188
4,342
Exclusion Order
3,927
1,560
1,832
3,015
7,387
1,978
1,506
1,258
1,337
6,079
Deportation Order
5,053
9,858
4,695
4,333
5,640
1,883
1,766
1,630
1,657
6,936
Order type not captured in system
2
77
47
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Grand Total
11,269
12,851
7,513
8,319
15,207
4,909
4,280
3,986
4,182
17,357
Table 3.2: Total enforced removals by removal order type (fiscal year: 2019 to 2023 and quarterly for 2024)
There are 3 ways the CBSA can enforce a removal order:
Confirm a foreign national's departure from Canada and issue a certificate of departure
Enforce a removal order at a Canadian mission abroad, when a foreign national leaves Canada without confirming their departure
Administratively enforce the removal of individuals who "self-deported" (chose to leave Canada), if sufficient evidence exists to prove that they are no longer in Canada
The majority of individuals leave Canada on their own after being ordered to do so. However, in about 10% of cases, officers are assigned to escort foreign nationals out of the country. The CBSA uses a risk assessment matrix and considers multiple, evolving situational factors to determine if an escort is needed.
Table 5.1: Total enforced removals by escorted or unescorted (calendar year: 2019 to 2023 and quarterly for 2024)
Escorted vs. unescorted
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024 Q1
2024 Q2
2024 Q3
2024 Q4
2024 Total
Escorted
1,028
422
590
836
1,402
317
302
276
282
1,177
Unescorted
10,241
12,425
6,917
7,478
13,719
4,575
3,924
3,691
3,884
16,074
Information not captured in system
0
4
6
5
86
17
54
19
16
106
Grand total
11,269
12,851
7,513
8,319
15,207
4,909
4,280
3,986
4,182
17,357
Table 5.2: Total enforced removals by escorted or unescorted (fiscal year: 2019 to 2023 and quarterly for 2024)
To track and manage the removal program effectively, the CBSA maintains various inventories. The status of an individual may change over time and so the same individual may appear in different inventories depending on his current status.
The No yet actionable
inventory includes individuals that fall outside of the enforcement stream. These include, but are not limited to, individual who have a pending refugee application or who have been recognized as a refugees in Canada.
The Removal not possible
inventory includes individuals that cannot currently be removed. These include, but are not limited to, pending Federal Court appeals, criminal charges, or Pre-Removal Risk Assessments, and sentences of imprisonment.
The Wanted
inventory includes individuals who failed to appear for removal proceedings and the CBSA is working to locate the foreign national.
The Removals in progress
inventory includes individuals who can be processed for removal. At this stage, CBSA works with the individual and foreign countries to overcome challenges to removal, including but not limited to, the issuance of travel documents.
