Canada Accepts 3,463 Nigerian Asylum Claims in 2025

In 2025, Canada accepted 3,463 asylum claims from Nigerian nationals, with 21,573 claims pending by December 31, 2025. The Immigration and Refugee Board reported that Nigerians filed a total of 6,765 asylum claims, resulting in 1,377 rejections, 46 abandoned, and 153 withdrawn claims, leading to 5,039 finalized cases.

The acceptance rate for Nigerian claims was 68%, a rise from the previous year when 2,230 claims were accepted out of 16,267 filed. This places Nigeria among the top countries for asylum claims in Canada, alongside India, Haiti, Iran, and Mexico.

Canadian law mandates that the Immigration and Refugee Board assess claims made by individuals seeking refuge based on fears of persecution due to race, religion, nationality, social group membership, or political opinion. The report also noted a total of 107,802 claims handled across Canada in 2025, with 50,067 cases finalized, including 14,619 accepted and 7,944 rejected.

Despite a steady rise in claims, there was a 64% decrease in submissions during January and February 2026 compared to the same period in 2024.