Canada intensifies crackdown on undocumented Indian workers 

The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) has linked these operations to a broader “inland enforcement blitz” that targets illegal employment and smuggling networks. Unannounced workplace inspections have risen by nearly 25 per cent compared to 2024, according to Canadian media reports.

The CBSA recently announced the deployment of 1,000 additional officers and the use of artificial intelligence tools to identify high-risk cases—moves aimed at accelerating removals of undocumented migrants and disrupting human smuggling networks. The agency’s 2025-26 plan lists visa overstays, criminal records, and failed refugee claims as top priorities.

Indians among most affected
Indian nationals are among the largest groups caught up in this crackdown. Official data show that India ranks second after Mexico for enforced removals from Canada. Between April 2024 and August 2025, 2,209 Indians were deported, including voluntary departures and forced removals, driven mainly by expired permits and rejected asylum claims.

By July 2025, forced removals of Indian nationals had already reached 1,891, putting Canada on track to exceed last year’s total by at least 20 per cent. The Immigration and Refugee Board reported over 15,000 asylum claims by Indians in 2024, many of which were rejected for lack of proof of persecution.

Government estimates suggest that of the 1.2 million non-permanent residents expected to leave Canada this year, as many as a quarter may be undocumented Indian migrants though precise figures remain unavailable.

Raids tied to smuggling and visa fraud
The increased enforcement follows growing concern about smuggling networks and visa fraud involving Indian nationals. CBC investigations earlier this year revealed online advertisements on TikTok offering to smuggle Indians across the USA-Canada border, with more than 1,000 people apprehended in Quebec in the first half of 2025. In September, Canadian authorities arrested Fenil Patel, accused of running a smuggling ring connected to the 2022 deaths of an Indian family near Emerson, Manitoba.

The issue extends to student visa misuse. In late 2024, Indian and Canadian authorities exposed a network of education agents and private colleges accused of helping students enter Canada on fraudulent documents. As a result, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) revoked over 5,000 study permits of Indian nationals in 2025.

Workers caught in exploitation
Investigations have also exposed exploitation of undocumented Indian workers. In April, a CBC report from Winnipeg revealed that Indian and Brazilian migrants were lured with fake job offers and made to work illegally. In Newfoundland, several Indian workers said they paid up to $24,000 each to lawyers promising valid permits that never came through.

The CBSA, in coordination with India’s Ministry of External Affairs, has accelerated repatriations through chartered flights. In February, 104 Indian nationals were deported in one such joint operation.

The road ahead
For an estimated 50,000 to 100,000 undocumented Indians in Canada, the current wave of enforcement has created a climate of fear and uncertainty. Community organisations report growing anxiety among international students and temporary workers whose visas have lapsed.

As the CBSA expands its reach with more officers and smarter surveillance tools, Canada’s undocumented Indian community is bracing for a difficult year ahead.