Canada has deported 3,323 Indian nationals during the first six months of 2026, a figure that suggests a record-breaking year, poised to exceed the total deportations of the past six years. Data released by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) indicates that these removals represent nearly 88% of the 3,779 Indians deported in the entirety of 2025, which itself marked a previous high.
This surge in deportations coincides with Canada’s recent efforts to streamline its immigration system, including reductions in the number of temporary residents, such as international students and foreign workers.
Canadian authorities routinely deport Indian citizens for various reasons, including non-compliance with immigration regulations, failed asylum or refugee claims, visa overstays, and involvement in visa fraud schemes.
In the first half of 2026, Indian nationals constituted the largest group among those removed from Canada, with 3,323 deportations. This surpasses the 1,573 deportations of Mexican nationals, who had previously topped Canada’s deportation lists.
For the past five consecutive years, Mexico held the top position for nationalities deported from Canada, with India consistently ranking second during that period.
India last held the top spot in 2020, when 1,424 Indian nationals were deported from Canada.
According to CBSA data, the number of Indians deported from Canada was 603 in 2021, rising to 786 in 2022. This figure further increased to 1,132 in 2023 and 2,004 in 2024.
While the CBSA maintains a comprehensive database detailing reasons for deportation, this information is not categorized by country.
Furthermore, CBSA data reveals that Indian nationals represent the largest demographic within Canada’s “removal in progress inventory,” with 7,669 individuals currently awaiting deportation.
Canada employs three primary categories of removal orders:
A departure order mandates an individual to voluntarily leave Canada within 30 days. Failure to comply automatically converts this into a deportation order. An exclusion order prohibits an individual from re-entering Canada for a specific duration, typically ranging from one to five years. A deportation order permanently bars re-entry, unless the individual secures written authorization from the Canadian government.
The current deportation figure for Canada this year is also more than two-and-a-half times higher than the number of Indians deported by the United States to India. India’s Ministry of External Affairs reported last month that 1,273 Indian nationals were deported from the US between January 1 and July 22.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
