Newly revealed data shows a significant backlog in Canada's immigration enforcement system, with more than 10,000 active warrants for removal from the country having been outstanding for over a year.
A Substantial Inventory of Unresolved Cases
The information, current as of December 5, 2025, highlights a persistent challenge for the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA). The inventory of active removal warrants that have surpassed the one-year mark points to systemic delays in processing and executing the orders required to remove individuals from Canada.
While the specific reasons for each delayed warrant are not detailed in the data release, such backlogs can stem from complex legal appeals, difficulties in obtaining travel documents from other countries, humanitarian considerations, or resource constraints within the enforcement agency.
Official Insight from CBSA Leadership
The issue of enforcement and removals has been a topic of scrutiny for parliamentary committees. Aaron McCrorie, Vice-President of Intelligence and Enforcement at the CBSA, recently provided testimony on related matters.
McCrorie appeared before the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security (SECU) on Thursday, December 12, 2024, on Parliament Hill in Ottawa. His appearance underscores the ongoing political and administrative focus on the agency's operational challenges and priorities.
Implications for Canada's Immigration System
The presence of such a large number of long-standing warrants raises questions about the efficiency and finality of the removal process. It impacts public confidence in the immigration system and has direct consequences for the individuals involved, who often live in a state of prolonged uncertainty.
This backlog also places a continuous operational burden on the CBSA, requiring ongoing management and review of cases that, by their nature, are intended to be resolved. The agency must balance enforcement priorities with legal obligations and available resources.
The data, released by The Canadian Press, serves as a key metric for evaluating the government's performance on immigration enforcement and highlights an area likely to receive continued attention from policymakers, auditors, and the public.
