Iceland’s Directorate of Immigration, Útlendingastofnun has revealed that 331 Nigerians have sought asylum in the country since 2020.
The agency’s annual statistical workbook, Tölfræði verndarsviðs, revealed 37 filings during the pandemic year of 2020, 50 in 2021, 67 in 2022, a post-COVID surge to 125 in 2023, and 52 from January to May 2024.
When Iceland cleared its 2019 backlog in 2020, it decided on 96 Nigerian files; 44 were granted residence permits, three full refugee statuses, and 41 humanitarian visas, while 37 applications were denied.
Of 60 Nigerian cases resolved in 2021, only three were granted refugee status; 14 were rejected after a substantive interview, and 43 were shunted under Dublin rules.
It was revealed that the success rate for Nigerian applicants fell to five percent as Iceland resorted to the European Union mechanism that allows smaller states to pass responsibility to their larger neighbours.
However, the numbers rose again in 2022, when 67 Nigerians applied, and the Directorate examined 76 files, issuing 22 permits, two refugees and 20 humanitarian, turning down 28 claims and returning 26 to other countries.
Documents show that the main doorway for most Nigerians has been humanitarian leave, which is valid for one year at a time rather than full convention status.
In 2023, post-COVID travels and a tightening British visa regime influenced 125 Nigerians to apply for asylum. Yet Iceland deferred most to Dublin as only one secured refugee status and 22 gained humanitarian leave.
Thirteen were rejected and a striking 108 were closed without substance, most as transfers out.
Early 2024 data revealed a drop in applications to just 52. From January to May 2024, the Directorate closed 149 Nigerian files after tackling leftover backlogs.
The figures coincide with a new credibility screening regime introduced in February, mirroring Sweden’s tougher interviews.
Although Nigerians dominate West-African entries, Somalia and Eritrea still top African applicants, due to older diasporas and far higher grant rates, the data says.
Sudan, Ethiopia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo follow at a distance, each not exceeding a dozen applications a year.
The most accepted nationals are Syria, Afghanistan, Ukraine, Iran, Iraq, Somalia, Eritrea, Nigeria, Russia, and Georgia. Georgians and Russians faced the most rejection, followed by Iraqis.
Icelandic Directorate of Immigration accepts or rejects asylum claims based on its Foreign Nationals Act (Act 80/2016), which transposes the 1951 Convention, EU Qualification Directive, and the Dublin Regulation.
The data revealed that since Iceland handles barely 1,500 asylum claims annually, a few extra applications could strain its budgets. For instance, in November 2023, the Social Affairs Ministry sought emergency funds after hitting its accommodation ceiling. Officials noted that Nigerians formed one-fifth of the late-season lodgings list.
