TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The number of illegal Chinese immigrants facing deportation in Canada has now jumped to 2,000.

News broke on Dec. 21 that Canada was to deport 160 Chinese nationals who had fraudulently acquired residency rights through exploiting an investment scheme in the country’s Prince Edward Island province. Liberty Times now reports Canadian authorities have revealed more than 2,000 face deportation in the near future.

The announcement comes in the wake of China’s recent detention of three Canadian citizens, two of which are accused of threatening national security. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau initially remained quiet about the incident, but last night, after calling for the release of former diplomat Michael Kovrig and businessman Michael Spavor, said people around the world are “extremely disturbed” by China’s actions.

Trudeau is currently on a visit to Canadian forces on a U.N. peacekeeping mission in Mali.

Canada’s Border Services Agency recently announced it is to step up deportations by 25-35 percent next year. There were 8,472 removals in 2017, the majority of which were due to failed asylum claims, but the agency is hoping to increase the number to 10,000 per year over the next few years.

Many of the Chinese nationals up for deportation are involved in some kind of immigration fraud, which Canada has a history of dealing with. The biggest scam ever to hit the country was uncovered in 2015 when immigration consultant Sunny Wang was arrested after faking the presence of millionaire Chinese clients in Canada so they could all maintain residency rights and eventually qualify for citizenship.

Canada is building a global campaign in effort to free Kovrig and Spavor, and national ambassadors around the world have been directed to call on their host countries for support.