1,917 Nigerians Sought Asylum in Netherlands Within Two Years

By Blessing Fali

At least 1,917 Nigerians applied for asylum in the Netherlands between 2024 and 2025, according to data from the Dutch Immigration and Naturalisation Service and reports compiled under the Asylum Information Database.

The figures showed that the number of Nigerians seeking asylum increased from 931 in 2024 to 986 in 2025, representing a 5.9 per cent rise. Of the 2024 applications, 770 were first-time applications while 161 were subsequent applications. In 2025, there were 813 first-time applications and 173 subsequent applications.

Nigeria was among the top 10 nationalities seeking asylum in the Netherlands in both years. In 2024, Nigerians ranked ninth, while the country moved up to sixth position among identified nationalities in 2025.

The report also noted that the figures did not include Nigerians who entered the Netherlands through family reunification, meaning the actual number of Nigerians who moved to the country during the period could be higher.

Among African countries, Nigeria recorded 1,917 applications over the two years, placing it behind Eritrea with 4,684, Algeria with 2,670 and Somalia with 2,503 applications.

However, the report showed that many Nigerian asylum applications were rejected. In 2025, Dutch authorities made 515 first-instance decisions involving Nigerians, with 425 cases, representing 83 per cent, rejected.

Only 65 applicants, or 13 per cent, were granted refugee status, while 10 received subsidiary protection and 15 were granted humanitarian protection.

The overall rejection rate for asylum applicants of all nationalities in the Netherlands was 52 per cent in 2025, significantly lower than Nigeria’s 83 per cent rejection rate.

The report further stated that Nigeria was not on the Netherlands’ list of safe countries of origin during the period. It also disclosed that a Nigerian was involved in one of two cases in 2025 where Dutch authorities considered the concept of a first country of asylum.

The figures highlight the growing number of Nigerians seeking international protection in the Netherlands, although the data does not necessarily mean that all applicants were granted permission to remain in the country.