Canada Grants Refugee Protection to 7,643 Nigerians in 30 Months

Canada granted refugee protection to 7,643 Nigerians between January 2024 and June 2026, making Nigeria the African country with the highest number of successful asylum claims during the period, according to data from the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB).

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The figures showed that Canadian authorities rejected 3,080 Nigerian claims during the same 30-month period, while another 1,530 cases were withdrawn or abandoned. In total, 12,253 Nigerian asylum cases were concluded.

Nigerian Asylum Approvals Rise in 2025

A breakdown of the figures showed that Canada granted refugee protection to 2,230 Nigerians in 2024. The number rose to 3,463 in 2025, representing an increase of about 55 per cent.

In the first six months of 2026, another 1,950 Nigerians received refugee protection, bringing the total number of successful applications over the period to 7,643.

Nigeria also recorded the highest number of successful asylum claims among African countries in 2025, ahead of Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia and Ghana.

Nigeria Leads Africa in Successful Claims

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

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

The figures indicated that Nigeria accounted for approximately 6.4 per cent of all refugee protection grants recorded globally in Canada during the period. The 7,643 Nigerian approvals also represented roughly one in every five successful claims by African nationals, based on the supplied report.

Thousands of Nigerian Applications Rejected

Despite the high number of successful applications, thousands of Nigerians did not secure refugee protection.

The IRB data showed that 3,080 Nigerian claims were rejected between January 2024 and June 2026, the highest number among the African countries listed in the report.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo recorded 1,230 rejections, followed by Ghana with 885 and Kenya with 639. Senegal recorded 595 rejected claims, while Angola had 442. Chad and Cameroon each recorded 343 rejections.

In 2025, Canada concluded 5,039 Nigerian cases, approving 3,463 applications and rejecting 1,377. During the first half of 2026, it concluded 3,965 Nigerian cases, granting protection to 1,950 applicants and rejecting 892.

Canada Faces Growing Refugee Claim Backlog

The figures also highlighted pressure on Canada’s refugee determination system, with thousands of Nigerian applicants awaiting decisions.

As of December 31, 2024, the IRB had 19,889 Nigerian cases awaiting decisions, according to the supplied report.

Canada received 107,802 new refugee claim referrals in 2025. By December 31 of that year, 299,614 claims involving applicants of different nationalities remained pending.

Globally, Canada concluded 79,462 refugee claims in 2025, granting protection to 50,067 applicants and rejecting 14,619. Nigerian approvals accounted for approximately 6.9 per cent of all refugee protection grants that year.

In the first half of 2026, Canada approved 22,109 of the 49,960 refugee claims concluded worldwide. The 1,950 Nigerian approvals represented about 8.8 per cent of the total grants during that period.

Who Qualifies for Refugee Protection in Canada?

Canada’s refugee determination system is administered by the Immigration and Refugee Board, an independent federal body responsible for deciding eligible asylum claims.

Under international refugee protection principles, applicants may qualify if they face persecution in their home countries because of their race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership of a particular social group.

Canada also considers claims involving risks such as torture, death or cruel and unusual punishment if an applicant is returned to their country of origin.

Applicants are required to provide evidence supporting their claims. Eligible applicants whose cases are rejected may have access to an appeal through the Refugee Appeal Division or seek judicial review at the Federal Court, subject to applicable rules.

The number of successful Nigerian applications reflects decisions made by Canadian authorities during the period; it does not mean that every Nigerian applicant was approved or that all applicants had the same reasons for seeking protection.