Canada rejects 114 Nigerians who requested for refugee status between January and June 2023 according to the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada.
According to data obtained from the IRBC’s Refugee Protection Division, 12,035 Nigerians have been denied under the system since the beginning of January 2013.
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The IRB provides refugee protection in Canada if the RPD concludes that an applicant or claimant meets the UN definition of a convention refugee, “which has been incorporated into Canadian law, or that the applicant is a person in need of protection.”
According to the 1951 UN Convention on the Status of Refugees, refugees are persons who have a credible fear of persecution because of their race, nationality, religion, political ideology, or other characteristics/membership in a specific social group.
Sexual orientation, gender identity, being a woman, and HIV/AIDS patients are all instances of such social groups.
The report did state, however, that anyone seeking refuge in Canada must offer evidence that they suffer torture, a risk to their life, or cruel and unusual treatment or punishment if they return to their country of origin.
It was observed that Nigerian immigrants file protection claims when they notify the Border Services Agency at any port of entry or report to an immigration official upon arriving in Canada.
“The officer determines whether the claim qualifies for referral to the IRB.” If the claim is eligible, it is forwarded (‘referred’) to the RPD to begin the claim process.
However, the RPD has dismissed around 12,035 such petitions from Nigerians seeking asylum in Canada during the last decade and six months.
According to Imaobong Ladipo-Sanusi, Executive Director of the Women Trafficking and Child Labor Eradication Foundation, who evaluated the acceptance percentage as “fair,” irregular migration was typically the main reason for rejections.
“Most of the time, many Nigerians miss it because they don’t understand the laws governing refugee status as adopted in their chosen destination,” Ladipo-Sanusi added.
Every country has its own rules for integrating newcomers into its system.
“For starters, documentation is critical because arriving late will result in your rejection from their system.” But, in the end, everyone’s rights must be protected.
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Migration must be safe, orderly, and consistent. Those in desperate need, regardless of their immigration status, must always be careful.
Former Nigerian Ambassador to Singapore, Ogbole Amedu-Ode, also spoke, stressing that while accepting all refugees and asylum seekers was impractical, border control officials had the responsibility to deny anyone deemed a threat to their country.
