According to recent data from the UK Home Office, a total of 22,619 Nigerians applied for asylum in the United Kingdom between 2010 and 2024.
This places Nigeria 11th among the countries with the highest number of asylum seekers in the UK during this period, with Nigerians accounting for approximately one in every 30 asylum requests.
In 2024, the number of asylum applications from Nigeria saw a sharp rise, increasing from 1,462 in 2023 to 2,841—representing a notable year-on-year growth.
The UK’s latest Asylum and Resettlement report highlights that the total number of asylum applications in 2024 reached 108,138, marking a remarkable 378 percent increase from 2010. The majority of these applications came from first-time seekers from South Asia and the Middle East.
Iran had the highest number of claims, with 75,737 applications, largely due to the government’s crackdown on dissent. Pakistan followed with 57,621 applications, driven by political instability, inflation, and rising blasphemy-related prosecutions. Afghanistan recorded 54,363 claims, with a significant rise in 2024 due to ongoing instability following the Taliban’s return to power.
Other countries with notable asylum figures included Albania (50,944), Iraq (45,711), Eritrea (37,687), Syria (34,997), and Bangladesh (31,744), where applications surged to 7,225 in 2024 amid escalating political unrest.
Sudan and India rounded out the top ten with 30,897 and 30,179 claims, respectively, while Nigeria placed just ahead of Sri Lanka, which saw 22,059 claims. Countries such as Vietnam, China, Turkey, Brazil, and Yemen had fewer than 6,500 asylum applications during the same period.
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