20,612 foreigners have applied for asylum in Nigeria between January 2017 and December 2022. According to the United Nations Human Rights Council for this period, most asylum seekers came from Cameroon, Syria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic and Lebanon.
The data show that in Nigeria has applications for asylum seekers in 2017, 2018 and 2019. Each year has a total of 8,700, 4,835 and 1,033 respectively. While, 2,788, 1,662 and 1,594 people applied for asylum in 2020, 2021 and 2022 respectively.
In addition, at least 17,356 people were registered as urban refugees in the six years.
The results showed that the refugees came from 41 countries. They are mainly from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Niger, the Central African Republic, Cameroon, Syria, Turkey and Mali.
Unfortunately, most of the refugees are children. They live in cities across the country, including Lagos, Ijebu in Ogun State, Abuja and Kano.
As of June 2022, 78,321 refugees in Nigeria were from Cameroon, the most common source of refugees, most of them fleeing the ongoing Ambazonian War between security forces and armed groups.
Between 2018 and 2022, the number of Cameroonian refugees arriving in Nigeria surged, with the majority settling in the states of Cross River, Taraba and Benue.
According to rights groups, over 700,000 Cameroonians have been displaced since the war broke out in September 2017.
For Syria, the events leading up to the eventual government takeover by the Taliban in August 2022 turned millions of citizens into refugees and asylum seekers worldwide.
“Trends indicate a minimal desire for repatriation among urban refugees (only two repatriated over a three-year period),” the United Nations said.
As a signatory to the 1951 Geneva Convention, Nigeria grants refugee status and asylum to deserving parties. Especially those fleeing persecution and conflict from their respective states.
In May 2019, the Nigeria Immigration Service produced the first set of Convention Travel Document—also called Refugee Passport—to be issued to refugees under the protection of Nigeria by the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons.
The CTD enables affected persons to reside in Nigeria lawfully or any of the remaining 148 countries that are signatories to the treaty.
However, the UNHCR said –
“during mass movements of refugees, usually as a result of conflict or violence, it is not always possible or necessary to conduct individual asylum procedures and interview every asylum-seeker”.
Consequently, experts argue that the growing number of refugees and asylum seekers heightens Nigeria’s security risks. It further puts enormous strain on its creaking infrastructure system.
cc: Punch Ng
