20,612 foreign nationals sought asylum in Nigeria from January 2017 to December 2022, The PUNCH has learnt.
According to data obtained from the United Nations Human Rights Council for the period under review, most asylum seekers originated from Cameroun, Syria, the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Central African Republic, and Lebanon.
The data reveals that 8,700, 4,835 and 1,033 persons sought asylum in Nigeria in 2017, 2018 and 2019, respectively. Also, 2,788, 1,662 and 1,594 persons requested asylum in 2020, 2021 and 2022, respectively.
Furthermore, at least 17,356 persons registered as urban refugees within the six years.
Findings revealed that the refugees were drawn from 41 countries, mainly the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Niger, the Central African Republic, Cameroon, Syria, Turkey, and Mali.
The refugees, predominantly children, reside in cities such as Lagos, Ijebu in Ogun State, Abuja, Kano and others nationwide.
As of June 2022, 78,321 refugees in Nigeria were from Cameroon, the most common country of origin of refugees, most of whom are fleeing from protracted violence in the ongoing Ambazonian War between security forces and armed groups.
Between 2018 and 2022, the number of refugees from Cameroon arriving in Nigeria saw a sharp increase, with the majority settling in Cross River, Taraba and Benue states.
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 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, “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,” says the UNHCR.
Consequently, experts argue that the growing number of refugees and asylum seekers heightens Nigeria’s security risks and puts enormous strain on its creaking infrastructure system.
