diff --git a/pygmt/helpers/decorators.py b/pygmt/helpers/decorators.py
index e6b87180cd1..3277dfc0d2f 100644
--- a/pygmt/helpers/decorators.py
+++ b/pygmt/helpers/decorators.py
@@ -578,27 +578,21 @@ def new_module(*args, **kwargs):
                 )
                 warnings.warn(msg, category=SyntaxWarning, stacklevel=2)
 
-            # xshift (X) is deprecated since v0.8.0.
+            # xshift (X) is deprecated since v0.8.0 and removed in v0.12.0.
             if "X" in kwargs or "xshift" in kwargs:
-                if "xshift" in kwargs:
-                    kwargs["X"] = kwargs.pop("xshift")
                 msg = (
-                    "Parameters 'X' and 'xshift' are deprecated since v0.8.0 "
-                    "and will be removed in v0.12.0. "
+                    "Parameters 'X' and 'xshift' are no longer supported since v0.12.0. "
                     "Use Figure.shift_origin(xshift=...) instead."
                 )
-                warnings.warn(msg, category=SyntaxWarning, stacklevel=2)
+                raise GMTInvalidInput(msg)
 
-            # yshift (Y) is deprecated since v0.8.0.
+            # yshift (Y) is deprecated since v0.8.0 and removed in v0.12.0.
             if "Y" in kwargs or "yshift" in kwargs:
-                if "yshift" in kwargs:
-                    kwargs["Y"] = kwargs.pop("yshift")
                 msg = (
-                    "Parameters 'Y' and 'yshift' are deprecated since v0.8.0. "
-                    "and will be removed in v0.12.0. "
+                    "Parameters 'Y' and 'yshift' are no longer supported since v0.12.0. "
                     "Use Figure.shift_origin(yshift=...) instead."
                 )
-                warnings.warn(msg, category=SyntaxWarning, stacklevel=2)
+                raise GMTInvalidInput(msg)
 
             return module_func(*args, **kwargs)
 
diff --git a/pygmt/tests/test_figure.py b/pygmt/tests/test_figure.py
index 8cd3514f954..586973fe6ad 100644
--- a/pygmt/tests/test_figure.py
+++ b/pygmt/tests/test_figure.py
@@ -377,21 +377,17 @@ def test_figure_set_display_invalid():
         set_display(method="invalid")
 
 
-def test_figure_deprecated_xshift_yshift():
+def test_figure_unsupported_xshift_yshift():
     """
-    Check if deprecation of parameters X/Y/xshift/yshift work correctly if used.
+    Raise an exception if X/Y/xshift/yshift is used.
     """
     fig = Figure()
     fig.basemap(region=[0, 1, 0, 1], projection="X1c/1c", frame=True)
-    with pytest.warns(expected_warning=SyntaxWarning) as record:
+    with pytest.raises(GMTInvalidInput):
         fig.plot(x=1, y=1, style="c3c", xshift="3c")
-        assert len(record) == 1  # check that only one warning was raised
-    with pytest.warns(expected_warning=SyntaxWarning) as record:
+    with pytest.raises(GMTInvalidInput):
         fig.plot(x=1, y=1, style="c3c", X="3c")
-        assert len(record) == 1  # check that only one warning was raised
-    with pytest.warns(expected_warning=SyntaxWarning) as record:
+    with pytest.raises(GMTInvalidInput):
         fig.plot(x=1, y=1, style="c3c", yshift="3c")
-        assert len(record) == 1  # check that only one warning was raised
-    with pytest.warns(expected_warning=SyntaxWarning) as record:
+    with pytest.raises(GMTInvalidInput):
         fig.plot(x=1, y=1, style="c3c", Y="3c")
-        assert len(record) == 1  # check that only one warning was raised