No fewer than 375 Nigerian nationals applied for asylum in Sweden in 2024, with middle-aged women forming the majority of applicants, data from the Swedish Migration Agency has revealed.
According to figures published on the agency’s “Asyl” portal, Nigeria ranked ninth globally and fourth among African countries with the highest number of asylum seekers last year.
Of the total applications, 239 were first-time requests, while 136 were follow-up submissions by individuals seeking to extend their temporary protection status.
A demographic breakdown of the figures shows that nearly half of the Nigerian applicants were between the ages of 25 and 44. Notably, there were no recorded applications from individuals aged 65 and above.
Gender statistics indicate a significant disparity among first-time applicants, with 159 women compared to 80 men seeking asylum—meaning women accounted for roughly two-thirds of the new applications.
Additionally, 60 children accompanied adult applicants, while one unaccompanied Nigerian minor was also registered.
Despite the relatively high number of applications, Nigeria was listed among the top ten nationalities whose citizens were granted asylum-linked residence permits in the first instance.
However, the overall approval rate was limited, as only 6,250 such permits were issued by Sweden in 2024—the lowest since 1985.
Analysts attribute the surge in Nigerian asylum applications to worsening insecurity, economic hardship, and social instability back home.
Factors such as insurgency, banditry, kidnappings, and the sharp devaluation of the naira in 2023 are believed to be pushing more Nigerians to seek refuge abroad.
Sweden, however, has tightened its asylum policies under the 2023 Tidö Agreement, a political deal backed by the far-right Sweden Democrats.
The agreement enforces the European Union’s minimum standards for protection, thereby introducing stricter eligibility criteria and reducing access to welfare benefits for asylum seekers.
Under current laws, applicants must prove a well-founded fear of persecution or demonstrate exceptional humanitarian need to qualify for asylum. Authorities are also permitted to deny or revoke protection in cases involving security risks or serious crimes.
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