Canada Offers Asylum To 1,467 Nigerians Fleeing Persecution In 15 Months – Report

At least 1,467 Nigerians have been granted asylum in Canada between January 2023 and March 2024, bringing the total number of accepted asylum claims filed by Nigerians to 11,370 from 2012 to Q1 2024.

This is according to data from the Refugee Protection Division of the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada.

The Board grants refugee protection in Canada if the Division confirms that an applicant meets the United Nations definition of a Convention refugee or is a person in need of protection.

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“The 1951 UN Convention on the Status of Refugees defines refugees as persons with a substantiated fear of persecution because of their race, nationality, religion, political ideology, or membership in a particular social group,” the Board states.

Imaobong Ladipo-Sanusi, Executive Director of the Women Trafficking and Child Labour Eradication Foundation, described the acceptance rate as fair, saying irregular migration was often the leading cause of rejection. “Persons seeking protection in Canada must show evidence portending the danger of torture, a risk to their life or risk of cruel and unusual treatment or punishment should they return to their country of nationality,” she added.