UK Records Over 22,000 Nigerian Asylum Seekers Since 2010
Over 22,000 Nigerians have applied for asylum in the United Kingdom in the last 14 years, according to newly released data from the UK Home Office.
Between 2010 and 2024, a total of 22,619 Nigerian nationals filed asylum claims, placing Nigeria 11th among countries with the highest number of applicants. The data also reveals that Nigerians account for one in every 30 asylum claims made within that period.
In 2024 alone, 2,841 Nigerians submitted asylum applications—almost double the 1,462 recorded in 2023—marking one of the most significant year-on-year increases for any nationality.
Meanwhile, the UK received an all-time high of 108,138 total asylum applications in 2024—a 378% surge compared to figures from 2010.
Iran topped the list of asylum-seeking nationalities with 75,737 claims, followed by Pakistan with 57,621, and Afghanistan with 54,363—reflecting ongoing political unrest and instability in those regions.
