Canada has turned down at least 13,171 Nigerian refugee applications between January 2013 and December 2024, new data from the Refugee Protection Division (RPD) of the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB) reveals.
In 2024 alone, 811 Nigerian claims were rejected, placing Nigeria among the top five countries with the highest denial rates — ranking fifth behind Mexico (2,954), India (1,688), Haiti (982), and Colombia (723).
The IRB assesses refugee claims based on the 1951 United Nations Convention on Refugees, which protects individuals facing persecution due to race, nationality, religion, political beliefs, or membership in vulnerable social groups, such as LGBTQ+ individuals, women, or those living with HIV/AIDS. Applicants must also demonstrate credible fear of torture, life-threatening risks, or inhumane treatment if returned to their home country.
Applications are submitted when immigrants report to Canada’s Border Services Agency upon arrival or to an immigration officer, who decides if the claim qualifies for a hearing before the RPD.
However, many claims from Nigerians never make it that far. The report noted that 94 Nigerian claims were abandoned — often due to missing forms, incorrect contact details, or failure to attend hearings — while 78 claims were voluntarily withdrawn. A staggering 19,889 claims from Nigerians remain unresolved.
A breakdown of rejections shows a steady rise over the years. After initial denials of 127, 241, and 248 applications in 2013, 2014, and 2015, the numbers climbed sharply — hitting 476 in 2016 and peaking at 3,951 in 2019. Following a dip to 1,770 in 2020, rejections dropped to 439 by 2023 before rising again to 811 last year.
Despite the high failure rate, 10,580 Nigerians have secured refugee status over the past decade — with 2,230 approvals recorded in 2024 alone. Nigeria now ranks 8th among the top 10 countries with the highest number of successful refugee claims, alongside Turkiye (4,866), Mexico (4,363), Colombia (3,340), Iran (3,200), Pakistan (2,556), Haiti (2,211), Afghanistan (1,921), and Kenya (1,653).
Nigeria’s acceptance numbers have fluctuated, starting with fewer than 20 approvals in 2013 and rising steadily to 1,534 in 2020, then 2,302 in 2021. Though approvals dipped to 1,315 in 2022, they rebounded to 2,230 by the end of 2024.
The data paints a complex picture of Nigerian asylum seekers in Canada — balancing hope against the rising tide of rejections.
| Posted: at | |
TRENDING GISTS 
Shock As Landlord Kills Tenant Over Missing Rent Money
#JP2025: Watch Iyabo Ojo's Daughter, Priscilla Taking to the Dance Floor With Father
VIDEO: Fulani Coalition Gives Conditions for Peace in Bokkos, Plateau State