New official statistics reveal that 13,171 Nigerians seeking refugee protection from Canada between January 2013 and December 2024 have been rejected.
The data showed that in 2024, 811 Nigerians seeking refugee status were rejected by the Canadian government.
Official data from the Refugee Protection Division of Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada shows that Nigeria ranks 5th in the list of countries with the highest number of rejected asylum claims.
Other countries include Mexico (2,954), India (1 1,688), Haiti (982), and Colombia (723).
According to an analysis of the rejections that have occurred since 2013, 127, 241, 248 Nigerians, respectively, were denied refugee protection under the new system in Canada for determining refugee claims, which took effect on 15 December 2012.
In 2016, 2017 and 2018, 476, 917 and 1,777 claims, respectively, were rejected.
In 2019, the number of claims rejected by Nigerians was at its highest, with 3,951 applicants being turned down.
The IMRB will grant refugee protection to a Canadian if the RPD confirms that a claimant or applicant meets the United Nations definition for a Convention Refugee “which is incorporated into Canadian Law, or if they are a person who needs protection.
The officer determines if the claim can be sent to the IRB.
The Refugee Board’s application guideline states: “If the claim qualifies, it is sent (referred) to the RPD in order to begin the claim process for refugee protection.”
10 580 Nigerians received refugee status during the period under review. At least 2 230 of them were granted this status between January and December 2024.
