Newly released figures from the UK Home Office have revealed that 22,619 Nigerians applied for asylum in the United Kingdom between 2010 and 2024.
This places Nigeria as the 11th highest country of origin for asylum seekers during the 14-year period, accounting for one in every 30 asylum claims.
The latest Asylum and Resettlement Statistics published by the UK government show that asylum applications from Nigerians saw a significant increase in 2024, nearly doubling from 1,462 in 2023 to 2,841 in 2024.
Overall, the UK received 108,138 asylum applications in 2024 alone—a massive 378 percent jump from the number recorded in 2010. Most of the new claims came from nationals of South Asia and the Middle East.
Iran topped the list of asylum-seeking countries with 75,737 applications, a trend attributed to intensified persecution of political dissidents by the Iranian regime. Pakistan followed with 57,621 claims, including 10,542 in 2024, amid post-election unrest and increasing blasphemy-related prosecutions.
Afghanistan came in third, with 54,363 applications filed since 2010, including 8,508 in 2024—reflecting continued instability following the Taliban’s resurgence in 2022.
Other countries with high asylum numbers include Albania (50,944), Iraq (45,711), Eritrea (37,687), Syria (34,997), and Bangladesh (31,744). Bangladesh, in particular, saw a sharp increase in 2024, with 7,225 claims, up from 5,097 in 2023, following political tensions in the wake of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s removal.
Sudan and India completed the top ten with 30,897 and 30,179 claims, respectively. Nigeria followed closely behind and ranked just above Sri Lanka, which recorded 22,059 claims.
Countries such as Vietnam, China, Turkey, Brazil, Kuwait, Yemen, Colombia, and Jordan each had fewer than 6,500 asylum applications during the same period.
