From January 2013 to December 2024, the Canadian government rejected 13,171 asylum applications from Nigerian citizens.
This figure includes 811 rejections in 2024 alone, placing Nigeria fifth among the countries with the highest number of denied refugee protection claims.
The Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada’s (IRB) data indicates that other nations with significant rejection rates include Mexico (2,954), India (1,688), Haiti (982), and Colombia (723). The IRB grants refugee status based on the United Nations definition of a Convention refugee, which necessitates a well-founded fear of persecution due to race, nationality, religion, political opinion, or social group membership.
Applicants must provide evidence of potential torture, threats to their lives, or cruel and unusual treatment if they were to return to their home countries. The application process begins upon arrival in Canada at a port of entry or when individuals report to an immigration officer.
Within the reviewed period, 94 asylum claims from Nigerian passport holders were abandoned, and 78 were withdrawn. Additionally, 19,889 claims remain pending. The number of rejections varied annually, with 2019 recording the highest number at 3,951.
Conversely, 10,580 Nigerians were granted refugee status during the same period, with 2,230 approvals occurring in 2024. Nigeria ranks eighth among the top ten countries with the most accepted claims, following nations like Turkiye, Mexico, and Colombia
Imaobong Ladipo-Sanusi, Executive Director of the Women Trafficking and Child Labour Eradication Foundation, attributes many rejections to irregular migration driven by economic hardship. She emphasizes the importance of understanding and adhering to the refugee laws of the destination country.
Development economist Aliyu Ilias expresses concern over the loss of skilled labor, highlighting the subsidized education that many Nigerian professionals receive before emigrating. He also notes the significant remittances sent by Nigerians in the diaspora.
Deji Adeyanju, Convener of Concerned Nigerians, argues that relying on remittances is not a sustainable long-term economic strategy. He points to the “Japa syndrome,” which describes the mass emigration of Nigerian professionals, as a significant loss to the country’s development
