Canada Rejects Over 13,000 Nigerian Asylum Claims In 11 Years
More than 13,000 Nigerians seeking refugee status in Canada had their applications denied between 2013 and 2024, with 811 rejections recorded in 2024 alone.
Data from the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB) ranked Nigeria among the top five countries with the most asylum rejections, placing fifth behind Mexico, India, Haiti, and Colombia.
Mexico had the highest rejections at 2,954, followed by India (1,688), Haiti (982), and Colombia (723).
Canada grants asylum based on the United Nations’ refugee definition, which applies to individuals facing persecution due to race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or belonging to a specific social group.
Claimants must also prove a risk of torture or cruel treatment if returned to their home country.
Refugee applications can be made at Canadian borders or immigration offices, where eligibility is assessed before referral to the Refugee Protection Division (RPD).
Some cases never reach this stage, as 94 Nigerian claims were abandoned due to incomplete paperwork or missed hearings, while 78 applicants withdrew their requests.
As of the end of 2024, 19,889 Nigerian cases were still pending.
Denials have fluctuated over the years, starting at 127 in 2013 before climbing to 241 in 2014 and 248 in 2015.
The numbers rose steadily, reaching 476 in 2016, 917 in 2017, and peaking at 3,951 in 2019.
Rejections later dropped to 1,770 in 2020, 1,686 in 2021, 728 in 2022, 439 in 2023, and 811 in 2024.
Despite the high rejection rate, 10,580 Nigerians successfully secured refugee status within the same period.
In 2024, 2,230 claims were approved, placing Nigeria eighth among countries with the most successful asylum applications.
Other nations with high acceptance rates included Turkiye, Mexico, Colombia, and Iran.
Nigerian approvals remained below 20 in 2013 but steadily increased, reaching 308 in 2014, 394 in 2015, and 389 in 2016.
The numbers continued to grow, with 764 approvals in 2017, 755 in 2018, and 1,733 in 2019.
More recently, 1,534 claims were accepted in 2020, 2,302 in 2021, 1,315 in 2022, and 2,230 in 2024.
Titilope Adako is a talented and intrepid journalist, dedicated to shedding light on the untold stories of Osun State and Nigeria. Through incisive reporting, she tackles a broad spectrum of topics, from politics and social justice to culture and entertainment, with a commitment to accuracy, empathy, and inspiring positive change.
