Nigeria was among the top five countries with the most rejected claims, ranking fifth, according to official data from the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada’s Refugee Protection Division.
From January 2013 to December 2024, the Canadian government denied refugee protection to 13,171 Nigerians, including 811 Nigerians in 2024.
If the RPD satisfies that a claimant or applicant satisfies the UN definition of a Convention refugee, “which has been incorporated into Canadian law, or that the applicant is a person in need of protection,” the IMRB awards refugee status in Canada.
People who have a legitimate fear of persecution due to their race, nationality, religion, political beliefs, or membership in a certain social group are considered refugees, according to the 1951 UN Convention pertaining to the Status of Refugees.
Sexual orientation, gender identity, being a woman, and people living with HIV/AIDS are examples of such social groupings.
However, those seeking asylum in Canada must provide proof that they face torture, death threats, or harsh and unusual punishment if they return to their home country.
When immigrants report to an immigration official or alert the Border Services Agency at any point of entry after arriving in Canada, they are often making such protection claims.
“The officer decides whether the claim is eligible to be referred to the IRB.
“If the claim is eligible, it is sent (“referred”) to the RPD to start the claim for refugee protection process,” an application guideline by the Refugee Board reads.
Within the timeframe reviewed, 94 claims from Nigerian passport holders were abandoned. The RPD says a claim may be abandoned if “the completed Basis of Claim Form was not provided on time, the claimant’s current and correct contact information was not provided, or the claimant did not attend their refugee protection claim hearing or the special hearing on the abandonment of the claim (if required).”
According to the RPD, 19,889 claims were still outstanding, while 78 claims were withdrawn, indicating situations in which “the claimant does not continue with their claim.”
Under the new procedure for evaluating refugee protection applications lodged in Canada, which went into effect on December 15, 2012, 127, 241, and 248 Nigerians were denied protection in 2013, 2014, and 2015, respectively, according to a breakdown of rejections since 2013.
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In 2016, 2017, and 2018, 476, 917, and 1,777 claims were denied, correspondingly.
With 3,951 denied applications from Nigeria, 2019 had the most denied claims. In the meanwhile, in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024, 1,770, 1,686, 728, 439, and 811 individuals, respectively, were refused protection.
Nevertheless, 10,580 Nigerians were awarded refugee status throughout the decade under consideration, with at least 2,230 from January to December 2024.
Official statistics placed Nigeria among the top 10 nations with the most claims approved. It ranked 8th on the list.
