Asylum and refugee status
Asylum is protection given to people who flee their country due to war, violence, or persecution. Anyone fearing return to their country of origin has the right to apply for asylum in Nigeria.
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How to apply for asylum?
Refugees are people who have fled their countries to escape conflict, violence, or persecution and are seeking safety in another country and are entitled to international protection.
In Nigeria, the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI) is responsible for receiving and processing asylum applications.
To apply for asylum, you will need to follow the steps below:
1Present yourself to an immigration authority on arrival in Nigeria and inform them about your intention to apply for asylum.
You can do that at the point of entry or immediately upon arrival in Nigeria. The Immigration will then refer you to the NCFRMI Office in the nearest location for registration and status determination.
2Register with the Government
Alternatively, new arrivals present themselves at the nearest offices of the NCFRMI. Here, the intention to seek asylum is declared, and the person is registered and issued with an asylum seeker certificate, which is valid for 6 months to allow for the finalisation of RSD procedures. This certificate is renewable.
NCFRMI will also be responsible for counselling new arriving asylum seekers on any other specific protection case needs and how to settle within the host community they find themselves in.
3Attend your Refugee Status Determination (RSD) interview
At NCFRMI, an RSD Officer legal advisor will collect your information, such as your name, date of birth, nationality, and contact details, and ask you about the reasons you left your country of origin.
On the day and time of your interview appointment, you and all your family members should go to NCFRMI for the interview.
Please note that if there are family members who want to present their own personal reasons for applying for asylum, they should state so during registration to allow for separate interviews.
It would be useful to bring all the documents if you have any, including:
- Birth, marriage and death certificates
- Identity documents and passports
- Any other relevant documents you might have.
You should present your claim clearly and provide all available details and documents that may help the authorities understand your situation. Provision of false or misleading information and details amounting to fraud, will compromise the support and decision made on your case.
4Waiting for a decision.
Based on the deliberation by the Eligibility Committee, NCFRMI will, within a period of 3 to 6 months reach a decision about whether you will be granted refugee status or not. Ideally, within 6 months, you will be personally informed of the outcome of the RSD interview and the eligibility committee’s deliberations. Please ensure that the telephone numbers you are accessible on are always up to date with the Commission.
The decision can be any of the three listed below:
- You are recognised as a refugee.
- A decision is not reached with the information obtained in the first interview, and your case is recommended to be heard by the appeal board
- Your application for refugee status is rejected.
Frequently asked questions:
In case of an unfavourable decision of the eligibility committee sitting, you have the right to appeal to the body called the Refugee Appeal Board (“Appeal Board”) within a period of 30 days.
The following steps should be taken to lodge an appeal:
- Request an appeal application form from the NCFRMI Office
- Compete and submit the form to the NCFRMI Office. This must be submitted within 30 days of the time you received your letter of notification of the decision on your status
- You may request the assistance of a legal practitioner to assist in the preparation of your application. This will be provided free of charge
The Appeal Board will review the application for any new elements to warrant a different consideration to the case and make a decision.
Decisions of the Refugee Appeal Board are communicated in writing through the NCFRMI Office. The timeline of this decision varies from a month to six months.
If your family members fled your home country alongside you due to the same or related threats and are physically present in Nigeria, they have their own independent claim to international protection based on their experiences.
When applying for asylum, you and your family members will need to provide evidence of your identities and relationships.
You have the right to have an interpreter during the entire process. NCFRMI provides the interpreter at no cost.
The asylum seekers have the right to protection from refoulement, meaning they cannot be forcibly returned to a country where their life or freedom is threatened. They have the right to be formally registered and to receive identification documentation while their claim is processed, which facilitates their access to essential public services such as healthcare and basic education.
The asylum seekers have the right to protection from refoulement, meaning they cannot be forcibly returned to a country where their life or freedom is threatened. They have the right to be formally registered and to receive identification documentation while their claim is processed, which facilitates their access to essential public services such as healthcare and basic education.
Furthermore, the asylum seeker has the right to appeal a negative decision to the Refugee Appeal Board and cannot be penalized for any illegal entry into Nigeria directly related to their flight from persecution, provided they present themselves without delay.
Concurrently, the asylum seeker bears specific obligations throughout the status determination process. They are required to cooperate fully with the NCFRMI and the Eligibility Committee by providing a complete and truthful account of their circumstances and reasons for seeking refuge.
This duty includes the obligation to attend all scheduled interviews and to comply with all lawful requests for information or documentation. The asylum seeker must also respect and abide by the laws of Nigeria, maintain lawful residence, and submit their application through the proper official channels, such as designated immigration authorities or the UNHCR office in Nigeria.
A period of 3 to 6 months to reach a decision about whether you will be granted refugee status or not.
Asylum seekers are not issued EAD or work permits and explicit legal provisions allowing asylum seekers to work. They however find work in the informal sector.