At least 375 Nigerian citizens sought asylum in Sweden in 2024, according to the Swedish Migration Agency’s 2024 asylum application data. The data reveals that 239 were first-time claims, while 136 were follow-up “extension” requests from persons whose temporary status was about to expire.
Demographics of Nigerian Asylum Seekers
The report highlights that most applicants were working-age adults, with women filing nearly two-thirds of all first-time Nigerian claims, totaling 159 women against 80 men. Half of every Nigerian applicant was between 25 and 44 years old, with no applications from Nigerians above 64 years old in 2024. Children accompanied 60 adult applicants, while one child traveled alone and registered as an unaccompanied minor.
Ranking and Comparison
Nigeria ranked fourth among Africans and ninth among all nationals seeking protection in Sweden. The highest number of asylum seekers hailed from Eritrea, with 2,692 applications, followed by Somalia with 1,316 and Ethiopia with 597. Nigeria’s 375 claims came next, just ahead of Sudan (257) and Uganda (255).
Reasons Behind Asylum Seeking
Analysts attribute the caseload from Nigerians to harsh conditions such as insurgency, bandit attacks, kidnapping, and collapsing household purchasing power following the naira’s devaluation in 2023. Charles Onunaiju, Research Director, Centre for China Studies, Abuja, noted, “We have a challenge. Since Nigeria is becoming inhospitable, especially for young people with no opportunities, there is desperation to go abroad.”
Impact on Nigeria’s Economy
Abuja-based development economist Dr. Aliyu Ilias expressed concern that the exit of more Nigerians and their permanent settlement abroad means less skilled labor for the country. He explained, “It’s definitely a cause of concern because this includes our professionals who are moving, and it takes a whole lot to train these professionals… So, it is a total brain drain in the long run and for the economy, it is reducing our GDP.”
Asylum Process in Sweden
The Swedish Migration Agency is the sole first-instance body that decides whether to grant or deny asylum claims, based on the Aliens Act (2005:716), which adheres to the 1951 Geneva Convention, the EU Qualification Directive, and Sweden’s own humanitarian-protection law. To be granted asylum, an applicant must clear at least one of the classic Geneva or EU thresholds—fear of persecution, risk of torture or death, or indiscriminate violence—or demonstrate “exceptionally distressing” humanitarian circumstances.