According to UNHCR data, Nigerian citizens desperate for relief and opportunity abroad are increasingly turning to asylum processes, even as approval rates remain low.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has revealed that more than 36,934 Nigerians applied for asylum across different countries in 2024 alone, underscoring the mounting economic and social hardship faced under the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
According to UNHCR data, Nigerian citizens desperate for relief and opportunity abroad are increasingly turning to asylum processes, even as approval rates remain low.
WHERE NIGERIANS ARE GOING
Canada topped the list, with 13,222 applications, though only 2,196 were approved.
Italy recorded 4,292 applications, with just 650 approvals.
United Kingdom saw 2,841 applications — nearly double the 1,462 in 2023 — yet only 446 were approved.
Sweden received 375 applications, ranking Nigeria fourth among African nations seeking refuge there.
United States admitted 383 Nigerian asylum seekers in 2024, a sharp 25% decline from 2023.
In total, 74% of Nigerian asylum applications were rejected globally, reflecting the increasingly strict immigration regimes in host nations.
HISTORICAL CONTEXT
During the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari (2016–2023), an estimated 664,384 Nigerians filed asylum claims abroad — averaging about 83,000 applications yearly.
Compared with Tinubu’s first year in office, the raw number of 36,934 asylum seekers is lower than Buhari’s annual averages. Yet, migration experts warn that the desperation behind the current exodus is sharper, driven not only by conflict but also by economic collapse, hunger, and shrinking opportunities at home.
TIGHTER WESTERN DOORS
Recent policies in the West have further complicated Nigeria’s migration story:
Canada has cut back on visa issuances, contributing to a drop in refugee claims. (Reuters)
The UK government has launched a crackdown on student visas for Nigerians, Pakistanis, and Sri Lankans, citing abuse of the system. (The Guardian)
The Push Factors at Home
Analysts say the exodus is linked to:
1. Economic Hardship — spiraling inflation, subsidy removals, and job losses.
2. Worsening Hunger — recent reports show food insecurity worsening as aid cuts slash supplies. (Reuters)
3. Insecurity — insurgency in the North and banditry in the Middle Belt remain unresolved.
4. Internal Strain — Nigeria itself is hosting more than 127,000 refugees and asylum seekers, while its backlog of unregistered cases jumped 55% in six months.
The Nation’s Eyes Editorial Note
That tens of thousands of Nigerians now prefer the uncertainty of asylum queues abroad to the reality at home is a stinging indictment of leadership. It shows a government unable to protect livelihoods, provide hope, or restore faith in the nation.
Unless urgent measures are taken to address hunger, inflation, unemployment, and insecurity, Nigeria risks losing more of its human capital — its educated, youthful population — to asylum routes that increasingly slam the door shut in their faces.
The flight of our people is not just a statistic. It is a mirror held up to a government that has failed to deliver the basics of survival.
