No fewer than 13,171 Nigerians seeking refugee protection in Canada were denied between January 2013 and December 2024, according to official data from the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB).
In 2024 alone, 811 Nigerian applications were rejected, placing Nigeria among the top five countries with the highest number of unsuccessful claims. The country ranked fifth, following Mexico (2,954 rejections), India (1,688), Haiti (982), and Colombia (723).
The Refugee Protection Division (RPD) of the IRB grants refugee status only if an applicant meets the United Nations’ definition of a Convention refugee, which is incorporated into Canadian law, or is deemed a person in need of protection.
