Official data from the Refugee Protection Division (RPD), of the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IMRB), indicate that Nigeria is among the top 10 countries granted asylum in the last 10 years.
According to a report by Sunday PUNCH, a total of 10,580 Nigerians were granted refugee status within the decade under review, placing it 8th on the list.
Of the above figures, a total of 2,230 Nigerians were granted asylum between January and December 2024 alone.
The report however indicated that over 13,000 asylum seeking Nigerians between January 2013 and December 2024, were turned down by Canadian government, with 811 Nigerians rejected in 2024 alone.
The figures make Nigeria ranks 5th among countries with the most rejected claims on the official data of IMRB.
Others are Mexico with 2,954 rejections, India (1,688), Haiti (982) and Colombia (723).
The IMRB however grants refugee protection in the North American country, if the RPD satisfactorily confirms that an applicant or claimant meets the United Nations definition of a Convention refugee, “which has been incorporated into Canadian law, or that the applicant is a person in need of protection.”
The 1951 UN Convention relating to the Status of Refugees defines refugees as persons who have a substantiated fear of persecution because of their race, nationality, religion, political ideology or membership in a particular social group.
Such social groups can include sexual orientation, gender identity, being a woman and persons living with HIV/AIDS.
However, persons asking for protection in Canada must show evidence portending danger of torture, risk to their life or risk of cruel and unusual treatment or punishment should they return to their country of nationality.
Typically, such protection claims are made when immigrants notify the Border Services Agency at any port of entry upon arriving in Canada or report to an immigration officer.
Application guideline by the Refugee Board says “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.”
However, many applicants from Nigeria and some other countries including those listed above have been found wanting.
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).”
Seventy-eight claims were withdrawn, representing cases where “the claimant does not continue with their claim,” the RPD said, while 19,889 claims were still pending.
