Nigeria receives 12,000 asylum seekers in eight months —UN Report

A report by the United Nations Human Rights Council has shown that not less than 12,000 foreigners thronged Nigeria as refugees or asylum seekers between January and August 2023.

According to the report, no fewer than 6,064 foreign nationals, mostly children, sought asylum in Nigeria between January and August 2023.

The report further stated that most asylum seekers originated from Cameroon, Syria, the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Central African Republic, Lebanon, Chad, Palestine and Sudan, where the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces have fought since April 2023.

The National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons also said that 4,337 asylum seekers are from Cameroon, 843 from Syria, 271 from CAR and 261 from Sudan. They also include 88 Congolese, 35 Chadians, 33 Palestinians and 103 from other countries.

Read also: Ohanaeze faction claims IPOB leader, Kanu, may regain freedom before end of 2023

The Commission says 2,759 are children, while 1,602 and 1,703 are men and women, respectively.

According to reports, since August 2022, approximately 22,539 persons fled Cameroon to Nigeria, with the majority located in Madagali, Mubi North, Mubi South and Michika local government areas in Adamawa State.

Aside asylum seekers, Nigeria, between January and August, 2023, also registered the influx of 6,366 urban refugees.

These refugees were from Cameroon (1,643), Niger (1,439), Central African Republic (982), Democratic Republic of the Congo (676), Syrian Arab Republic (576), Türkiye (409), Mali (145), Côte d’Ivoire (136), Others (360).

The UNHCR says 2,468 are men, 1,682 are women and 2,216 are children, with the most being between 18 to 59 years old.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now