Canada Resumes Removals to Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and UAE
CBSA Resumes Removals to Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the UAE: How the September 23, 2026 Change Affects Inadmissible Individuals
Immediate update: Canada lifted the temporary removal pause for four Gulf states.
On September 23, 2026, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) removed Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from its “exclusion list” on the Enforcing removals from Canada page. Practically, this means inadmissible people with enforceable removal orders to those countries may again be compelled to leave Canada. If you are from one of these countries and have a departure, exclusion or deportation order that is enforceable—because all appeals, stays or risk assessments are complete—this change affects your ability to remain in Canada.
How the situation evolved: the Administrative Deferral of Removal (ADR)
CBSA introduced an Administrative Deferral of Removal (ADR) on March 24, 2026, to temporarily defer removals where country conditions could seriously threaten civilian safety. That ADR stayed removals to these four countries until CBSA removed them from the exclusion list on September 23, 2026. Removing the ADR for these destinations restores the agency’s ability to enforce removal orders for them.
What an “enforceable removal order” allows CBSA to do
An enforceable removal order permits CBSA to proceed with deportation to Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar or the UAE. The key requirement is enforceability: the order must be a departure, exclusion or deportation order that is not stayed and for which any appeals or risk assessments have been resolved. Once enforceable, CBSA may compel the individual’s departure.
Definitions of the three removal orders and their effects
– Departure order: the least severe. The person has 30 days from when the order takes effect to leave and must confirm departure with CBSA. If they comply, they may be eligible to return later, subject to entry requirements. If they do not leave within 30 days, the departure order becomes a deportation order.
– Exclusion order: requires immediate departure and confirmation with CBSA. Re-entry is barred for one year (or five years if issued for misrepresentation) unless an Authorization to Return to Canada (ARC) is obtained.
– Deportation order: requires immediate departure and confirmation with CBSA. It imposes a permanent bar to return unless an ARC is granted; attempting to return without one may result in another deportation order.
Who is most directly affected
This change applies to inadmissible individuals from Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the UAE who currently have enforceable removal orders—specifically those whose orders are final because all appeals and stays have been exhausted and any risk assessments are complete. Note that even while the ADR was in place, CBSA could still remove people inadmissible for certain grounds (designated regime membership, criminality, international or human rights violations, national security, or organized crime); those cases were not protected by the ADR.
Practical impacts for affected individuals and sponsors
– Immediate enforcement: CBSA may act where an order was enforceable as of September 23, 2026.
– Timeframes differ by order type: departure orders keep the 30‑day window; exclusion and deportation orders require immediate departure and carry re-entry bans as described above.
– Re-entry options: exclusion and deportation bars can be overcome only by obtaining an ARC where applicable.
– Cases involving criminality, security or related grounds were never deferred and could be enforced at any time.
What to check now: immediate practical steps
– Confirm whether your removal order is enforceable (check for any active appeals, stays or risk assessments).
– If you have a departure order, note the 30‑day compliance window and the need to confirm departure with CBSA.
– If you have an exclusion or deportation order, be aware of the immediate departure requirement and the re-entry ban terms; consider whether applying for an ARC is relevant.
– Monitor CBSA’s “Enforcing removals from Canada” page for further updates.
Limits to this announcement
Removing the four countries from the exclusion list ends the ADR’s stay for those destinations but does not change the legal definitions of departure, exclusion or deportation orders. The change does not create new grounds for removal; it restores CBSA’s ability to enforce existing removal orders for those countries, subject to any remaining legal processes or remedies.
Key dates from the CBSA update
– March 24, 2026 — CBSA introduced the ADR that temporarily stayed removals to certain countries.
– September 23, 2026 — CBSA removed Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the UAE from the exclusion list, meaning enforceable removal orders to these countries may again be enforced.
Final practical note
CBSA’s change restores the agency’s authority to remove inadmissible individuals to Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the UAE when removal orders are enforceable. If you or someone you support may be affected, check enforceability, deadlines for departure, and procedural requirements like confirming departure with CBSA. For future re-entry, remember ARC applications are the formal route to seek permission.
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