…Over 21,000 Asylum Seekers Remain Unregistered Amid Cameroonian influx
… Delays Leave Children, Women Vulnerable In Host Communities
At least 21,807 refugees and asylum seekers fleeing violence in neighbouring countries remain unregistered in Nigeria, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has revealed.
The backlog leaves thousands without access to food, healthcare, and other essential services, UN data shows.
The November 2025 UNHCR dashboard, obtained by The Punch, indicates that the majority of the unregistered refugees are Cameroonians fleeing the eight-year-old Anglophone crisis in North-West and South-West Cameroon.
Nigeria currently hosts 127,000 refugees and asylum seekers from 41 countries, including 80,915 recognised refugees and over 25,000 asylum seekers undergoing processing.
The unregistered group continues to outpace the Federal Government’s registration capacity, leaving many in humanitarian limbo.
According to UNHCR data, the number of unregistered refugees peaked at 32,750 in June 2025, before declining to the current 21,807
“Registration can take weeks or even months, depending on the state and staffing availability,” a field officer said on condition of anonymity.
States such as Borno, Adamawa, and Cross River, which host the bulk of new arrivals, face staffing shortages, logistical hurdles, and security restrictions that have slowed registration.
Cameroonians make up 86% of Nigeria’s refugee population, numbering roughly 119,208. Other refugees come from Niger (15,011), Syria (1,330), the Central African Republic (1,053), and the Democratic Republic of Congo (598). Women and girls constitute just over half, while children represent nearly 60% of the population.
Most refugees reside in host communities rather than formal camps, across Cross River, Taraba, Akwa Ibom, Benue, and Adamawa, while urban centres like Lagos, Abuja, and Kano shelter refugees from diverse nationalities, some for over a decade.
Nigeria’s open-door policy, guided by the 1951 Geneva Convention and the 1969 Organisation of African Unity Convention, obliges the country to provide asylum to those fleeing persecution.
The National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI), alongside the Nigerian Immigration Service and UNHCR, is responsible for registering asylum seekers, a process that can take three to six months.
Successful applicants receive refugee identity cards, which grant access to work permits, school enrolment, and freedom of movement. In 2019, Nigeria began issuing Convention Travel Documents (refugee passports) to facilitate international travel.
During mass influxes, individual asylum procedures are sometimes suspended for group recognition. In 2024, the government granted 86,000 Cameroonians Temporary Protection Status valid through June 2027, while 20,000 Nigeriens in Damasak received prima facie recognition.
A former Nigerian Ambassador to Singapore, Ogbole Amedu-Ode, highlighted the need to balance humanitarian obligations with security concerns. “Nigeria is obliged to grant asylum under international law, but agencies should remain vigilant to prevent infiltration,” he said.
The registration backlog comes amid a broader displacement crisis. Nigeria currently hosts 3.5 million internally displaced persons, mainly due to Boko Haram and ISWAP insurgencies. Severe floods in 2024 further strained resources, affecting over 480,000 people in 34 states.
Meanwhile, nearly 408,000 Nigerians remain registered as refugees abroad, with 26,473 returning voluntarily in 2025 under UNHCR programmes.
Nigeria’s refugee response is coordinated through a Refugee Response Plan involving government agencies, UN bodies, NGOs, and civil society organisations.
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