CBSA lifted its temporary halt on removals to four Gulf countries on September 23, 2026, ending a pause put in place during last spring's regional conflict fears.
If you're from Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, or the UAE and you have an enforceable removal order from Canada, the six-month grace period is over. As of September 23, 2026, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) has lifted the temporary halt that had shielded people from these four countries from deportation since last spring.
CBSA ended the Administrative Deferral of Removal (ADR) covering Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates, removing all four countries from its list of destinations where removals are suspended. The change is effective immediately as of September 23, 2026.
An ADR is a protective measure CBSA can invoke under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations when conditions in a country create "broad and generalized risks to the entire civilian population" — things like armed conflict or environmental disaster — that go beyond the situation of any one person facing removal. CBSA had put this particular ADR in place on March 24, 2026, at the height of regional tensions tied to the Iran conflict, when it also cited the risk of the fighting spilling into neighboring Gulf states. With that risk now assessed as having eased, CBSA has closed the file and resumed normal enforcement.
The ADR only ever applied to people who already had an enforceable removal order — a departure, exclusion, or deportation order — and had exhausted every avenue of appeal. If that's your situation and you're a national of one of these four countries, CBSA can now proceed with your removal.
The pause never applied to everyone, though. People found inadmissible on the more serious grounds — membership in a designated regime, criminality, human rights violations, national security concerns, or organized crime — were excluded from the ADR's protection from the start and remained subject to removal throughout the six-month halt.
If you don't have an existing removal order, this change doesn't touch your immigration status, a pending application, or a temporary resident visa. It's specifically about enforcement action against people who have already been ordered to leave and have no further legal recourse.
Canada currently maintains ADRs for a short list of countries or regions where CBSA has judged conditions too dangerous for removals — a list that's shrunk and grown over the past couple of years as conflicts start and settle. This lift follows the same pattern as past ADR closures: the underlying conflict risk is reassessed periodically, and once CBSA no longer sees a generalized danger to civilians, the deferral ends and enforcement resumes for anyone still on the list with a valid removal order.
If you're tracking this because you or someone you know has a removal order to one of these four countries, the practical effect is that CBSA can now schedule and carry out that removal at any time — there's no separate notice period built into an ADR ending.
Tip
An ADR being lifted doesn't cancel any legal avenues you still have open. If you have an outstanding removal order and believe conditions in your home country remain unsafe, a Pre-Removal Risk Assessment (PRRA) is a separate process from the ADR and may still be available depending on your case history — this is exactly the kind of situation where speaking to an immigration lawyer or a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC) matters, not a generic checklist.
If you have a removal order to Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, or the UAE: the protection you had since March 2026 no longer applies. Get in touch with an immigration lawyer or RCIC now to understand what options, if any, remain available to you before removal proceeds.
If you're a temporary resident, PR applicant, or citizenship applicant from one of these countries: this change doesn't affect you. ADRs are about removal enforcement for people who have already lost their legal right to stay — not a signal about visa processing, travel advisories, or admissibility for new applicants.
If you're watching Canada's broader removals and enforcement posture: this is the kind of policy that moves in step with world events rather than immigration levels planning. Expect CBSA's ADR list to keep shifting as regional conflicts evolve — Canada has taken the same approach with other countries facing conflict or instability in recent years.
Disclaimer: This guide is for informational purposes only and does not constitute immigration advice. Always verify information with official IRCC sources and consult a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC) or licensed immigration lawyer for advice specific to your situation.