Canada Accepts Over 3,400 Nigerian Asylum Claims In Single Year
A total of 3,463 Nigerian nationals were granted refugee protection by Canadian authorities in 2025, even as over 21,000 applications from the country remain unresolved and pending final determination.
Data updated by Canada’s Immigration and Refugee Board on February 13 and reviewed Thursday shows that Nigerians filed 6,765 asylum claims between January and December 2025. Of the 5,039 cases finalised within the year, “3,463 were accepted, 1,377 were rejected, 46 were abandoned, and 153 were withdrawn or fell into other categories.” A further 21,573 applications from Nigerian claimants had not been concluded as of December 31, 2025.
The acceptance rate for Nigerian claims now stands at approximately 68 percent, a notable increase from prior periods when 2,230 of 16,267 claims succeeded. The figures place Nigeria among the top source countries for asylum seekers in Canada last year, alongside India, Haiti, Iran, and Mexico.
Under Canadian law, the Refugee Protection Division of the Immigration and Refugee Board determines eligibility based on the United Nations 1951 Convention definition of a refugee. A claim may succeed where there exists “a well-founded fear of persecution based on race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion, or the risk of torture, cruel and unusual treatment, or punishment upon return.”
The board explained that asylum requests may be lodged either upon arrival at a Canadian port of entry or while already inside the country. An official from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada or the Canada Border Services Agency first screens each claim for referral eligibility. “All eligible claims are then determined by the IRB based on the evidence and arguments presented, and in line with Canadian laws,” the board stated.
Those whose claims are accepted become protected persons and may subsequently apply for permanent residence. Denied claimants may face removal from the country.
Across all nationalities, Canada handled 107,802 referred asylum claims in 2025, with 50,067 cases finalised. Of these, 14,619 were accepted while 7,944 were rejected.
The board noted that “in recent years, Canada has seen a steady rise in the number of people who have submitted asylum claims,” attributing the increase to “global instability, armed conflict, and the growing number of people displaced worldwide.” It added, however, that 64 percent fewer people submitted an asylum claim between January and February 2026 compared to the corresponding period in 2024.