UK receives over 22,000 asylum applications from Nigerians

During this period, Nigerians made up one out of every 30 asylum applicants in the UK, placing them 11th on the Home Office’s latest Asylum and Resettlement year-end report.

The data showed a significant spike in 2024, with 2,841 Nigerians seeking asylum—almost double the 1,462 recorded in 2023.

Overall, 2024 recorded the highest number of asylum applications to the UK, reaching 108,138—a 378% increase from 2010.

The majority of these were first-time requests, mainly from South Asian and Middle Eastern countries.

Iran topped the list with 75,737 applications, likely driven by increasing repression of dissent.

Pakistan followed with 57,621, with 10,542 applications in 2024 alone, linked to post-election instability, inflation, and rising blasphemy-related prosecutions flagged by rights organizations as valid grounds for protection.

Afghanistan was third with 54,363 applications, including 8,508 in 2024—still reflecting the fallout of the Taliban’s return to power in 2022. In that year, the UK received 11,358 Afghan asylum claims, followed by 9,710 in 2023.

Other countries high on the list include Albania (50,944), Iraq (45,711), Eritrea (37,687), Syria (34,997), and Bangladesh (31,744)—which saw a jump from 5,097 applications in 2023 to 7,225 in 2024, reportedly following the removal of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Sudan and India round out the top ten with 30,897 and 30,179 applications, respectively.

Nigeria’s 22,619 applications edged out Sri Lanka (22,059), and ranked above Vietnam, China, and Turkey.

At the bottom of the list were countries like Brazil, Kuwait, Yemen, Colombia, and Jordan, each contributing fewer than 6,500 asylum requests.

Experts attribute Nigeria’s growing presence on the list to worsening domestic issues such as insurgency, banditry, kidnappings, and declining economic stability—particularly after the naira’s devaluation in 2023.

The Research Director at the Centre for China Studies, Abuja, Charles Onunaiju, said, “Nigeria is increasingly becoming unlivable, especially for young people without opportunities, leading to a surge in efforts to migrate.”

Reports suggest that many young professionals who initially travel to the UK on work visas later seek asylum, while others arrive irregularly through Europe, citing security threats in their claims. These include kidnappings, communal violence, or political persecution under Nigeria’s cybercrime laws or due to sexual orientation—grounds recognized under the Refugee Convention.

The UK Home Office states that asylum seekers must prove a “well-founded fear of persecution” based on race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership of a particular social group. Initial decisions are made by the Home Office, with appeals directed to the Immigration and Asylum Chamber.

Although the Illegal Migration Act 2023 bars individuals arriving via safe third countries from seeking asylum, the government’s plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda—a policy introduced by former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak—has stalled due to legal hurdles. Consequently, most arrivals in 2024 and 2025 continue to be processed through standard procedures.

Dr. Aliyu Ilias, a development economist in Abuja, warned that the mass migration of Nigerians—especially skilled workers—has severe implications for the country’s labour force.

He said, “The fact that professionals are leaving is worrisome. Nigeria invests heavily in training them, particularly in sectors like healthcare. Losing them means losing years of investment and reducing our GDP.”

He added that many Nigerian migrants eventually obtain permanent residency abroad and rarely return, becoming assets to their host nations instead.