No fewer than 375 Nigerian nationals applied for asylum in Sweden in 2024, according to newly released data from the Swedish Migration Agency.
The figure includes 239 first-time applicants while 136 were follow-up requests from individuals seeking to extend their temporary protection status.
The figures, published on the Agency’s “Asyl” portal, show that Nigeria ranked ninth among all countries and fourth among African nations with the most asylum seekers last year.
However, Eritrea topped the African list with 2,692 applications, followed by Somalia (1,316), Ethiopia (597), and Nigeria (375).
A demographic breakdown reveals that most Nigerian applicants were working-age adults, with nearly half between the ages of 25 and 44.
Meanwhile, no applications were recorded from Nigerians aged 65 or older.
The data also shows a significant gender disparity among first-time applicants, with women accounting for nearly two-thirds—159 women compared to 80 men.
The report notes that 60 children accompanied adult applicants, while one Nigerian child arrived unaccompanied and registered as a minor.
The Agency’s records also highlight that Nigeria was among the top ten nationalities granted residence permits in the first instance, despite also ranking among those with high rejection rates.
Only 6,250 asylum-linked residence permits were issued by Sweden in 2024—the lowest since 1985—amid increasingly restrictive policies introduced since the 2015 migrant crisis.
Under the 2023 Tidö Agreement, the Swedish government, supported by the far-right Sweden Democrats, now applies the EU’s minimum standards for protection, resulting in stricter asylum criteria and reduced welfare support.
Meanwhile, to be granted asylum, applicants must meet stringent thresholds under Swedish and EU law, including proving a well-founded fear of persecution or facing exceptional humanitarian circumstances.
Authorities may also deny or revoke protection if an applicant poses a security risk or has committed a serious crime.
However, analysts link the Nigerian asylum caseload to worsening insecurity, including insurgency, banditry, kidnappings, and economic hardship following the sharp devaluation of the naira in 2023.
