Canada has rejected 1,596 asylum applications from Nigerians so far this year, according to new figures from the Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB).
Data updated to August 21 show that Nigerian nationals submitted 3,548 claims in 2025, with 2,292 approved — a 65 per cent acceptance rate, higher than in previous years.
Nigerians remain among the top asylum seekers in Canada, alongside citizens of Mexico, India, Haiti and Colombia. Analysts attribute the high numbers to worsening insecurity linked to Boko Haram insurgency and economic instability at home.
Ontario and Alberta currently host the largest share of Nigerian asylum seekers.
Canada grants refugee protection if applicants meet the United Nations definition of a convention refugee, which requires proof of persecution risk based on race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership in a vulnerable social group such as women, LGBTQ persons or people living with HIV/AIDS.
Applicants must also demonstrate credible threats to life, risk of torture or exposure to cruel treatment if returned to their home country.
The IRB’s records show that in 2024, 811 Nigerian claims were rejected while 2,230 were approved.
Between 2013 and 2024, more than 13,000 Nigerian applications were denied, with 2019 recording the highest number at nearly 4,000 rejections.
Despite the high rejection rate, Canada has granted refugee protection to 10,580 Nigerians over the past decade, including over 2,200 in 2024 alone.
Nigeria currently ranks eighth among the top 10 countries whose nationals secured asylum in Canada, behind Turkiye, Mexico, Colombia, Iran, Pakistan, Haiti and Afghanistan.
Commenting on the trend, Imaobong Ladipo-Sanusi, Executive Director of the Women Trafficking and Child Labour Eradication Foundation, said many Nigerians are denied asylum because of irregular migration practices.
“Most times, people don’t fully understand the laws governing refugee status in their chosen destination. Documentation is crucial, because entering irregularly increases the chances of rejection,” she said. “Migration must be safe, orderly and regular.
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But those who truly need protection should be protected, regardless of status.”
