Canada grants asylum to 3,463 Nigerians in 2025 as applications surge
No fewer than 3,463 Nigerians were granted asylum by Canada in 2025, placing Nigeria among the country’s top sources of asylum seekers alongside India, Haiti, Iran, and Mexico. Data from
- …21,573 cases still pending
No fewer than 3,463 Nigerians were granted asylum by Canada in 2025, placing Nigeria among the country’s top sources of asylum seekers alongside India, Haiti, Iran, and Mexico.
Data from the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada showed that 21,573 Nigerian applications remained pending at the end of the year, underscoring a growing backlog.
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The figures indicated that Nigerians filed 6,765 asylum claims in 2025. Of the 5,039 cases concluded within the period, 3,463 were approved, 1,377 rejected, 46 abandoned, while 153 were withdrawn or closed on other grounds.
This translated to an approval rate of about 68 percent for Nigerian applicants, marking a significant increase compared to previous years.
The unresolved 21,573 Nigerian cases form part of a broader backlog, as Canada received 107,802 asylum claims from all nationalities in 2025. Only 50,067 applications were processed, of which 14,619 were approved and 7,944 were rejected.
Under the 1951 UN Refugee Convention, Canada’s Refugee Protection Division grants asylum to individuals who demonstrate a well-founded fear of persecution based on race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership of a particular social group, or those at risk of torture if returned to their home country.
Asylum claims may be filed at airports, land borders, or from within Canada. The Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada and the Canada Border Services Agency first assess eligibility before forwarding cases to the board for determination. Successful applicants are granted protected status and may apply for permanent residency, while unsuccessful claimants are subject to deportation.
The board attributed the rise in applications to global instability and displacement, although it noted that new claims dropped by 64 percent in early 2026 compared to the same period in 2024.
