There is an increase in the number of Nigerians seeking asylum in Canada.
A report by Bloomberg based on analysis from the Immigration and Refugee Board in Canada showed that over 6, 500 Nigerians applied for asylum in Canada in 2023.
Nigerians seeking residency in Canada have more than doubled since 2015 when it rose from over 3,000 to over 6,500 in 2024.
A survey conducted by the Africa Polling Institute (API), a non-profit research think-tank, found the key “push factors” for the exodus of Nigerian immigrants to Canada to be due to Nigeria’s weak economy, heightened insecurity, perceived poor governance and the huge appetites for foreign degrees by citizens.
Mexico is by far the largest source country for those seeking asylum in Canada, followed by Haiti, Turkey, India and Colombia. In Brampton, about 80 percent came from five African countries, including Kenya and Nigeria.
The influx has prompted Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government to make policy shifts.
In February, Trudeau’s government reimposed visa rules for many Mexican citizens. Last month, Canada said it plans to reduce the size of its temporary resident population, a group that includes asylum claimants and foreigners on temporary work permits.
‘It’s an ugly situation,’ said Patrick Brown, the mayor of Brampton, Ontario.
Brown’s city of some 700,000 people is close to Toronto Pearson, the country’s busiest airport.
‘If Canada’s going to allow more asylum claimants into our country, we need to make sure that they’re not left abandoned, and frankly, what we’ve seen is too much of that.’