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
138
57
70
61
102
38
44
48
22
152
Quebec Region
2,634
5,918
1,592
2,485
6,021
2,032
1,675
1,435
1,690
6,832
Northern Ontario Region
386
284
234
293
410
100
107
129
141
477
Greater Toronto Area Region
4,344
4,499
3,658
2,713
4,300
1,536
1,427
1,166
957
5,086
Southern Ontario Region
899
204
304
697
1,343
317
243
239
285
1,084
Prairie Region
971
967
833
590
771
243
265
303
282
1,093
Pacific Region
1,904
923
831
1,480
2,256
640
481
563
452
2,136
Grand Total
11,276
12,852
7,522
8,319
15,203
4,906
4,242
3,883
3,828
16,860
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
2,288
1,354
939
970
2,180
1,045
1,004
1,076
1,107
4,232
Exclusion Order
3,927
1,561
1,834
3,016
7,386
1,978
1,490
1,243
1,272
5,983
Deportation Order
5,059
9,860
4,702
4,333
5,637
1,883
1,748
1,564
1,450
6,645
Order type not captured in system
2
77
47
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Grand Total
11,276
12,852
7,522
8,319
15,203
4,906
4,242
3,883
3,829
16,860
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
1,032
424
591
837
1,403
318
301
275
282
1,176
Unescorted
10,244
12,424
6,925
7,477
13,715
4,572
3,889
3,603
3,543
15,607
Information not captured in system
0
4
6
5
85
16
52
5
4
77
Grand total
11,276
12,852
7,522
8,319
15,203
4,906
4,242
3,883
3,829
16,860
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.
The No action required
inventory includes individuals that fall outside of the enforcement stream. These include, but are not limited to, pending refugee determinations and convention refugees.
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.
Table 6.1: Removal sub-inventories by region
Region
No action required
Removal not possible
Wanted
Removal in progress
Atlantic Region
314
123
61
139
Quebec Region
163,916
10,189
6,368
16,556
Northern Ontario Region
11,903
968
804
902
Greater Toronto Area Region
65,537
6,394
20,098
9,699
Southern Ontario Region
3,191
204
379
194
Prairie Region
14,066
1,418
850
1,172
Pacific Region
23,392
800
1,369
1,531
Not yet assigned to a region
121,887
626
7
302
Grand total
404,206
20,722
29,936
30,495
Table 6.2: Removal in progress inventory - Inadmissibility types
