Toronto: Indian nationals now have the dubious distinction of forming the largest country cohort when it comes to removals from Canada, overtaking Mexican citizens in the first quarter of this year. They also made for nearly a third of total removals during the period.
According to updated data from the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), 1,712 Indian citizens were removed from the country between January and March this year, comprising 32.5% of the overall figure of 5,260. Meanwhile, Mexicans tallied 743 removals.
This was a reversal of the pattern in recent years. In 2025, there were 4,837 Mexican nationals removed from Canada and Indians trailed at 3,779 or 16.3% of the total number of 23,160.
Overall, while removals set a new record in 2025, if the quarterly figure released by CBSA indicates a pattern for the year, then there will be fewer numbers reported this year.
The first quarter phenomenon was driven, partly, by several Indian nationals being removed for the country for their involvement in extortion-related violence. It marked the first time since 2020 when Indians accounted for the maximum removals. At that time, there were 1,424 Indians removed and 1,391 Mexicans out of a total of 12,858.
The trend, however, could hold for the near future as Indians also make for the largest cohort when it comes to the removals in progress inventory of the CBSA, with 6,980 or just over 22% of the 31,482 total.
In a year-end release, CBSA stated about enforced removals, âOf these, 841 were subject to serious inadmissibility (national security, organized crime, human rights violations, and criminality).â Those numbers were not broken down by nationality.
CBSA added its liaison officers, located across the world intervened in 5,889 cases to recommend that airlines not allow a passenger to board a flight to Canada based on concerns over the validity of their travel documents.
Removal, under certain circumstances, does not mean the individual cannot attempt to come back to Canada, though that process became more expensive last spring.
In January 2025, the Canadian government announced that it was increasing costs for removed persons who wanted to return to the country.
In a release issued in January, CBSA said that under the new cost recovery framework, the fees will be adjusted from approximately 1,500 Canadian dollars previously to just over 12,800 Canadian dollars for escorted removals and just over 3,800 Canadian dollars for unescorted removals, regardless of destination.
This measure came into force in April.