Italy has rejected asylum applications of 2,220 Nigerians in 2025, according to new data.
The figure was contained in the 2025 Country Report on Italy by the Asylum Information Database (AIDA), a project of the European Council on Refugees and Exiles. The report compiled data from Italy’s Asylum Service and the European Union Agency for Asylum and was produced by the Association for Legal Studies on Immigration.
Data from the report showed that at least 3,385 Nigerians applied for asylum in Italy in the year under review. With that number, Nigeria emerged as the only sub-Saharan African country among the top 10 nationalities of asylum seekers in Italy.
Out of 3,390 decisions issued on Nigerian cases, 660 applicants were granted full refugee status, representing 19.47 per cent. According to the report, this is the highest refugee recognition rate among the top 10 nationalities and nearly four times Italy’s national average of 5.7 per cent.
Full refugee status is the highest form of protection under the 1951 Geneva Convention, awarded to persons facing persecution based on race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership of a particular social group.
In addition, 55 Nigerians, representing 1.62 per cent, received subsidiary protection, while 460 others, or 13.57 per cent, were granted Italy’s national protection, known as protezione speciale.
In total, 1,175 Nigerians received one form of protection or another in 2025. This represents an overall protection rate of 34.66 per cent, which is above Italy’s national average of 30 per cent.
The report further revealed that 4,120 Nigerian cases were still pending before Italian authorities as of December 31, 2025.
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