Italy Denies Asylum to Over 2,000 Nigerian Applicants in 2025

A recent report indicates that a significant number of Nigerian asylum seekers in Italy had their applications rejected in 2025. Out of 3,385 Nigerians who applied for asylum in the European nation, 2,220 received negative first-instance decisions. These figures are detailed in the Asylum Information Database 2025 Country Report on Italy, a collaborative effort by the European Council on Refugees and Exiles, utilizing data from Italy’s Asylum Service and the European Union Agency for Asylum. The Association for Legal Studies on Immigration was responsible for compiling this report.

Nigeria stood out as the sole sub-Saharan African nation among the top ten nationalities seeking asylum in Italy, according to data obtained by The PUNCH. The report highlighted that 660 Nigerians undergoing the asylum process were granted full refugee status, representing a 19.47 percent recognition rate. This rate was the highest among all top ten nationalities and nearly three and a half times Italy’s national average of 5.7 percent. In 2025, from a total of 3,390 decisions made on Nigerian cases, 660 (19.47 percent) resulted in full refugee status. This is Italy’s highest form of protection, extended to individuals facing persecution due to their race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a specific social group, as per the 1951 Geneva Convention.

Furthermore, 55 Nigerians, accounting for 1.62 percent, were accorded subsidiary protection, which is granted to those at risk of serious harm but who do not qualify as Convention refugees. Additionally, 460 individuals, or 13.57 percent, received Italy’s national or special protection category, known as protezione speciale. Overall, 1,175 Nigerians were granted some form of protection in 2025, resulting in an aggregate protection rate of 34.66 percent, which is above Italy’s national rate of 30 percent. The report also noted that as of December 31, 2025, 4,120 Nigerian asylum cases were still awaiting decisions from Italian authorities.

Among other African asylum seekers, Egypt recorded the highest number of applications with 11,790. The AIDA statistics table revealed that out of 10,685 decisions on Egyptian cases, 8,900, or 83.30 percent, were rejections. Only 105 Egyptians received full refugee status, 20 were granted subsidiary protection, and 1,660 received national protection. Morocco followed with 9,485 applications and had the second-highest rejection rate among all top ten nationalities. The data showed that 5,695 of 6,315 decisions, or 90.18 percent, were denied, with only 95 Moroccans receiving refugee status and five receiving subsidiary protection.

Tunisian nationals filed 6,290 applications, and of the 5,895 decisions, 5,035 or 85.41 percent were rejected. Only 190 Tunisians were granted refugee status, 25 received subsidiary protection, and 645 were given national protection. The report also documented other African nationalities among unaccompanied minors who sought asylum in Italy in 2025, including Gambia (61 children), Mali (44), Guinea (42), Burkina Faso (34), Somalia (30), Ivory Coast (27), Senegal (9), and Nigeria (16).

Italy is currently grappling with an increasing demand for asylum applications amidst a decline in approval rates. In 2025, Italy registered 126,635 initial asylum requests. While this marked a decrease from the 151,120 applications recorded in 2024, it was still nearly double the 77,200 applications registered in 2022. The country processed 104,560 first-instance decisions throughout 2025. The overall protection rate (including special protection) at first instance stood at 30 percent, a slight drop from 35 percent in 2024, and a more significant decrease from 47 percent in 2022.

Out of the total decisions, 5,965 (5.7 percent) led to refugee status, 11,455 (10.96 percent) to subsidiary protection, and 13,945 (13.34 percent) to national protection. As of December 2025, a substantial 234,165 applications remained pending. The Italian government manages asylum claims through 20 Territorial Commissions and 23 sub-commissions, operating under a three-tier protection framework. Asylum seekers have the right to appeal rejections before civil courts, with a final appeal option to the Council of State.

In October 2024, the Court of Justice of the European Union nullified Italy’s system for designating “safe countries of origin,” which led to Nigeria’s removal from this list. Previously, this designation subjected applications from Nigerians to expedited procedures that often disadvantaged asylum claims. Italy’s asylum system faced additional changes in 2025 due to the Italy-Albania Agreement, which allowed migrants intercepted at sea to be transferred to Albanian territory for processing under Italian jurisdiction. The AIDA report confirmed that this arrangement encountered multiple legal challenges throughout 2025.

Regarding accommodation for asylum seekers, the report indicated that as of December 31, 2025, 101,106 individuals were housed in emergency reception centers, 3,342 in government centers, and 3,652 in hotspots.