Canada Grants 7,643 Nigerians Asylum – Reports

Canada granted refugee protection to 7,643 Nigerians between January 2024 and June 2026, Naija News understands.

However, the country rejected the asylum claims of 3,080 Nigerians during the same period.

Data from the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB) showed that Nigerians had the most successful asylum claims among African nationals over the 30-month period.

The figures also placed Nigeria among the leading countries worldwide in terms of successful refugee protection applications in Canada, a report by The Punch revealed.

The data showed that Canada granted asylum to 2,230 Nigerians in 2024. The number rose by 55 per cent to 3,463 in 2025, while another 1,950 Nigerians received refugee protection in the first six months of 2026.

However, Canadian authorities rejected 3,080 Nigerian applications during the period, while another 1,530 cases were either withdrawn or abandoned.

This brought the total number of Nigerian asylum cases concluded between January 2024 and June 2026 to 12,253.

The breakdown showed that Nigeria recorded more successful asylum claims than any other African country in 2025.

Uganda followed with 2,089 approved applications, while Kenya recorded 1,532 and Ethiopia had 1,522. Ghana followed with 1,084 grants.

Other leading African countries included the Democratic Republic of Congo, with 732 successful claims; Cameroon, with 742; and Rwanda, with 710.

The trend continued in the first half of 2026, when 1,950 Nigerians received refugee protection. Ghana recorded 603 grants, followed by Kenya (703) and Uganda (521).

Ethiopia recorded 378 successful claims, while the Democratic Republic of Congo had 412, Rwanda 389 and Cameroon 300.

Over the full 30-month period, Uganda recorded 3,943 successful claims, followed by Kenya (3,888), Ethiopia (2,982), and Ghana (2,000).

The Democratic Republic of Congo recorded 1,867 grants, while Rwanda had 1,699 and Cameroon 1,643.

Despite the high number of successful applications, thousands of Nigerians failed to secure refugee protection in Canada.

The IRB data showed that 3,080 Nigerian claims were rejected during the period, the highest number among the African countries listed.

The Democratic Republic of Congo followed with 1,230 rejected applications, while Ghana recorded 885 and Kenya had 639.

Senegal recorded 595 rejections, Angola 442, while Chad and Cameroon each had 343.

In 2024, the board concluded 3,249 Nigerian cases, granting 2,230 applications and rejecting 811. The remaining cases were either withdrawn or abandoned.

The number of concluded Nigerian cases rose to 5,039 in 2025. Of these, 3,463 applications (68.7 per cent) were approved, while 1,377 were rejected.

In the first six months of 2026, Canada concluded 3,965 Nigerian cases, granting 1,950 applications and rejecting 892.

The figures also highlighted pressure on Canada’s refugee determination system, with thousands of Nigerians waiting for decisions.

As of December 31, 2024, the IRB had 19,889 Nigerian cases awaiting decisions. The backlog was nearly six times the number of Nigerian cases concluded during that year.

The pressure continued in 2025, when Canada received 107,802 new refugee claim referrals to its Refugee Protection Division. By December 31, 2025, 299,614 claims from different nationalities remained pending.

Globally, Canada concluded 79,462 refugee claims in 2025, granting 50,067 and rejecting 14,619.

The 3,463 successful Nigerian applications accounted for 6.9 per cent of all refugee claims approved worldwide that year.

In the first half of 2026, the board approved 22,109 out of 49,960 refugee claims concluded globally. The 1,950 successful Nigerian applications represented 8.8 per cent of all refugee protection grants during the period.

Across the full 30 months, Canada concluded 202,878 refugee claims involving applicants from different countries. Of these, 118,656 were approved, while 34,546 were rejected.

The 7,643 successful Nigerian applications accounted for 6.4 per cent of all refugee protection grants worldwide during the period.

African countries collectively received an estimated 35,000 grants, representing about 29.5 per cent of the global total. Nigeria accounted for roughly one in every five successful claims by African nationals.

Naija News understands that Canada’s refugee determination system is managed by the Immigration and Refugee Board, an independent federal body established under the country’s Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.

The board’s Refugee Protection Division is responsible for hearing and deciding asylum claims made in Canada or at its ports of entry.

Under the 1951 United Nations Refugee Convention, applicants may qualify for protection if they face persecution in their home country because of their race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership of a particular social group.

Canada also considers applications from people who may face torture, death or cruel and unusual punishment if returned to their countries.

People seeking protection must provide evidence to support their claims. They can notify the Canada Border Services Agency at a port of entry when they arrive or report to an immigration officer after entering the country.

According to guidance from the Refugee Protection Division, the division refers eligible applications for a decision.

Applicants whose claims are rejected may appeal to the Refugee Appeal Division, where eligible. Those who fail at that stage may seek a judicial review at the Federal Court or apply for a pre-removal risk assessment, which can provide another opportunity to demonstrate the danger they face if returned home.