DHAKA, August 10, 2026 — Bangladesh has emerged among the top 10 countries whose nationals are currently facing removal from Canada, according to the latest data from the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA).
As of June 30, a total of 968 Bangladeshi citizens were in the final stages of the removal process, placing Bangladesh 10th on the CBSA’s “Removals in Progress” list.
Canada has been taking a tougher stance on immigration enforcement, including the removal of foreign nationals who are living in the country illegally or have been ordered to leave.
According to CBSA data, 227 Bangladeshi citizens were removed from Canada during the first six months of 2026. In 2020, the number of Bangladeshis removed from the country stood at 308.
India topped the list of nationalities facing removal, with 7,669 Indian citizens in the process, followed by Mexico with 6,561. The United States ranked third with 2,179, followed by China with 1,892, Nigeria with 1,647, Colombia with 1,237, Pakistan with 1,139, Brazil with 1,118 and Chile with 1,030.
Overall, 10,607 foreign nationals were removed from Canada in the first half of 2026, according to CBSA figures.
The tightening of Canadian immigration policy comes as the country has recorded its highest number of removals of asylum seekers in about a decade. Bangladeshis are also among foreign nationals who entered Canada on visitor visas and later applied for asylum. According to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), 10 of 175 people who entered Canada as visitors and subsequently sought asylum were Bangladeshi citizens.
The issue has gained additional attention following Bangladesh’s political changes in August 2024. Some Bangladeshis have cited political persecution and security concerns in their asylum applications, while others linked to the former Awami League may now claim risks if they return to Bangladesh.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh remains one of the major sources of asylum applications in Europe. The European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA) reported that Bangladeshi nationals filed 36,901 asylum applications in EU countries in 2025, including 35,245 first-time applications.
During the same year, first-instance decisions were issued on 43,523 applications from Bangladeshi citizens, while 41,692 applications remained pending at the end of the year. The first-instance recognition rate for Bangladeshi applicants was only 3 percent.
The EUAA said political, security and human-rights conditions following Bangladesh’s political transition in August 2024 were cited in many asylum applications. Although applications by Bangladeshis declined by around 15 percent from the previous year, Bangladesh remained one of the largest source countries of asylum seekers in the EU.
Immigration experts say the growing number of Bangladeshi asylum seekers and irregular migrants is making migration pathways increasingly difficult. European countries have tightened asylum policies, while irregular migration through the Mediterranean and allegations of human trafficking have also contributed to stricter visa scrutiny for Bangladeshi nationals.
Bangladesh’s State Minister for Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment, Md Nurul Haque, said the rising number of asylum applications could negatively affect the country’s international image. He noted that some people use asylum applications as a means of securing permanent residence abroad, while decisions on asylum cases remain entirely within the jurisdiction of the relevant foreign governments.
The CBSA figures and European asylum data indicate a broader challenge for Bangladesh as several destination countries move toward stricter immigration enforcement and more closely scrutinize asylum and irregular migration claims.
