‎Canada Rejects 1,596 Nigerian Asylum Applications in 2025, Ranks among top asylum seekers alongside Mexico, India, Haiti

Canada has denied 1,596 asylum applications from Nigerians so far in 2025, according to fresh data from the Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB) updated to August 21. The figures indicate that Nigerian nationals filed 3,548 claims this year, with 2,292 approved, resulting in an acceptance rate of approximately 65 percent—higher than in previous years when cumulative rejections exceeded 13,000.

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‎An analysis by Maple Crest Law, a Canadian immigration firm, earlier estimated 3,455 Nigerian claims in early 2025, ranking the country among the top sources of asylum seekers alongside Mexico, India, Haiti, and Colombia. The surge is attributed to violence from Boko Haram and economic instability fueling departures from Nigeria. Ontario and Alberta currently host the largest numbers of these asylum seekers.

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‎The IRB grants refugee protection if the Refugee Protection Division (RPD) confirms that a claimant meets the United Nations’ 1951 Convention definition of a refugee—those with a substantiated fear of persecution based on race, nationality, religion, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group, such as sexual orientation, gender identity, women, or persons living with HIV/AIDS. Claimants must also demonstrate risks of torture, life threats, or cruel treatment upon return to their home country. Claims are typically filed at ports of entry with the Canada Border Services Agency, which refers eligible cases to the RPD for hearings.

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‎By comparison, in 2024, 811 Nigerian claims were rejected while 2,230 were approved. Between 2013 and 2024, the RPD denied 13,171 Nigerian applications and accepted 10,580, consistently placing Nigeria in the top five for rejection volumes. Rejections peaked in 2019 at 3,951, with annual figures including 127 in 2013, 241 in 2014, 248 in 2015, 476 in 2016, 917 in 2017, 1,777 in 2018, 1,770 in 2020, 1,686 in 2021, 728 in 2022, 439 in 2023, and 811 in 2024.

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‎Nigeria ranks eighth among the top 10 countries for accepted claims in the reviewed period, with 10,580 approvals overall. Leading nations include 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).

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‎Canada’s overall asylum demand grew after a record 173,000 claims in 2024, though applications eased slightly in 2025 to about 19,660 in the first two months—still far above pre-pandemic levels. The IRB has faced criticism for delays amid a swelling backlog.

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‎Imaobong Ladipo-Sanusi, Executive Director of the Women Trafficking and Child Labour Eradication Foundation, attributed many rejections to irregular migration driven by economic hardship and a lack of understanding of host countries’ laws. “Documentation is crucial because coming irregularly will get you rejected from their system,” she said in an interview. “Migration must be safe, orderly, and regular. Even if their status is irregular, those who really need protection should be protected.”

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