CBSA reports backlog of long-standing removal warrants as removals reach record levels

The Canada Border Services Agency says it is removing more people from the country than ever before, yet more than 10,000 active removal warrants have remained open for over a year. Newly released agency statistics show the CBSA is currently tracking about 33,000 outstanding warrants linked to individuals who did not comply with a removal order.

Appearing before parliamentarians, CBSA vice-president Aaron McCrorie said more than 22,000 people have been removed from Canada over the past 12 months. He noted that while most individuals follow the instructions in a removal order, warrants are issued when they do not voluntarily present themselves.

An order paper response requested by Conservative immigration critic Michelle Rempel-Garner highlighted the backlog, confirming that more than 10,000 warrants have remained active for more than a year. The figures come as immigration and border policy remain major points of debate across Canada, including in large settlement regions such as Metro Vancouver and Calgary, where delays can affect local community services and enforcement capacity.

The agency says its officers carry out about 400 removals each week. McCrorie added that over the last two fiscal years, CBSA closed roughly 9,500 warrants but saw about 7,000 new ones added to its inventory, underscoring the ongoing pressure on federal enforcement systems.