Foreign
UK records 22,000 applications from Nigerian asylum seekers
This is as Nigerians accounted for one in 30 UK asylum claims over the period, ranking 11th on the Home Office’s newly released year-end Asylum and Resettlement statistics.
According to the Home Office, nearly twice as many Nigerians (2,841) applied for asylum in 2024 as in 2023 (1,462).
Overall, 2024 saw the highest number of asylum applications to the UK, with 108,138 people, a 378 per cent rise from 2010. Most were first-time claims by South Asian and Middle Eastern nationals.
Iran topped the chart with 75,737, likely propelled by the increasing persecution of dissidents by the Iranian regime. Pakistan followed far behind with 57,621. 2024 saw 10,542 Pakistanis claiming asylum in the UK, driven by post-election turmoil, soaring inflation and a spike in blasphemy prosecutions that human rights groups say offer substantial grounds for protection claims.
Afghanistan trailed with 54,363 asylum applications since 2010. In 2024, 8,508 Afghans sought refuge in the UK, a development that pundits argue is the continued aftermath of the Taliban ousting of the Karzai administration in 2022. That year, 11,358 Afghans sought asylum in the UK, with 9,710 applications the following year.
Others are Albania (50,944), Iraq (45,711), Eritrea (37,687), Syria (34,997) and Bangladesh (31,744). Asylum seekers from Bangladesh rose from 5,097 in 2023 to 7,225 in 2024. The surge coincided with the ousting of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Sudan and India round out the top ten with 30,897 and 30,179, respectively.
Nigeria’s 22,619 filings sit just ahead of Sri Lanka’s 22,059 and above Vietnam, China and Turkey. Brazil, Kuwait, Yemen, Colombia and Jordan were at the lower end of the list, each contributing fewer than 6,500 claims.
Analysts attribute Nigeria’s leap on the list to harsh conditions such as insurgency, bandit attacks, kidnapping and collapsing household purchasing power following the naira’s devaluation in 2023.
In an interview with our correspondent, Charles Onunaiju, Research Director, Centre for China Studies, Abuja, argued, “We have a challenge. Since Nigeria is becoming inhospitable, especially for young people with no opportunities, there is desperation to go abroad.”
Local reports claim that young professionals who might once have entered the UK through skilled worker visas increasingly hedge their chances by applying for asylum once in the country; others arrive irregularly through continental Europe, citing kidnapping threats and communal attacks in their affidavits.
Under British law, an asylum seeker must demonstrate a “well-founded fear of persecution” on the basis of race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership of a particular social group, the Home Office explained on its website.
The Home Office makes initial decisions, and negative rulings can be appealed to the Immigration and Asylum Chamber.
Theoretically, the Illegal Migration Act 2023 makes those who arrive through a safe third country inadmissible.
However, the UK government’s proposed removal pathway—mainly its deal under former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to transfer claimants to Rwanda—remains mired in legal challenges.
Therefore, most 2024 and 2025 arrivals continue to pass through the ordinary system.
Abuja-based development economist, Dr. Aliyu Ilias, argued that the exit of more Nigerians and their permanent settlement abroad means less skilled labour for the country.
He said with most Nigerians confronting both economic headwinds and deteriorating security at home, the British asylum route, however uncertain, still appears to offer a better prospect.
Ilias explained, “It’s definitely a cause of concern because this includes our professionals who are moving, and it takes a whole lot to train these professionals.
“In the medical sector, Nigeria subsidises a lot to get people trained. You cannot get trained as a medical doctor or an engineer abroad for a cheaper cost compared to what we get in Nigeria.
“So, it is total brain drain in the long run and for the economy, it is reducing our GDP. The appalling part is that most of our Nigerian brothers and sisters who go out do not return. They get permanent residency, and they become valuable to the immediate country.”
PUNCH
The family of Philip Ifeanyi Elobuike, an indigene of Eziama Village, Ebe, in Udi Local Government Area of Enugu State, has appealed to the public for assistance in locating him after his photograph surfaced on social media following nearly two years without contact.
Elobuike first travelled to the United States around 2004 and initially settled in the Los Angeles area of California. He later moved to Las Vegas, Nevada, before relocating to Dallas, Texas.
According to his family, Elobuike remained in contact with his relatives in Nigeria until around 2024, when communication with him suddenly stopped. Before losing contact, he was active on social media platforms, including Facebook and Instagram.
His family had continued searching for him, and on August 11, 2026, they were relieved when his photograph surfaced on social media. The picture provided them with at least some reassurance that he was alive.
Elobuike Philip
However, contrary to reports circulating in some media outlets and on social media, Elobuike has not been reunited with his family or located by his kinsmen in the United States.
His relatives and members of the Nigerian community reportedly spent the entire day on August 12 searching for him in different parts of Dallas but were unable to locate him.
The family is therefore appealing to members of the public, particularly Nigerians and other individuals in the Dallas area, to assist in locating Elobuike and ensuring that he is safely reunited with his family.
The family also urged people to disregard reports claiming that he has already been found and reunited with his relatives, describing such reports as inaccurate.
Anyone who has information about Elobuike’s whereabouts or comes across him is urged to contact any of the following:
Dr. Fred Ngwu: (214) 418-8145
Moses Onyejekwe: (213) 479-2340
Law Okolo: (646) 302-2597
The family expressed appreciation to everyone who has shared his photograph and appealed for continued circulation of the information until he is successfully located.
No fewer than 205 Nigerians were deported from Canada in June 2026 as Canadian authorities intensified enforcement of the country’s immigration laws, according to official figures released by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA).
Immigration removal statistics published by the CBSA showed that 10,607 individuals were removed from Canada during the month, with Nigerians ranking among the top 10 nationalities affected by the exercise.
The figures indicate that Nigerians accounted for nearly two per cent of all removals carried out in June.
India recorded the highest number of deportations, with 3,323 nationals removed, followed by Mexico with 1,573. The United States accounted for 372 deportees, while Colombia and Romania recorded 354 and 293 removals respectively.
Other countries with significant numbers of nationals deported included Bangladesh, with 227, and Pakistan, with 207.
Explaining the rationale behind the removals, the CBSA said enforcing immigration laws was critical to protecting the integrity of Canada’s immigration system.
“Removing individuals who do not have the right to enter or stay in Canada is essential to maintaining the integrity of Canada’s immigration program and to ensuring fairness for those who come to this country lawfully,” the agency stated.
The latest figures underscore Canada’s continued enforcement against individuals found to have no legal right to remain in the country, as authorities seek to ensure compliance with the nation’s immigration laws.
The sentence was handed down on Friday by the US District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania after Adewale pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy and wire fraud.
Announcing the sentence in a statement on Friday, the US Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, David Metcalf, said Adewale was sentenced to 60 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.
“United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Afeez Olatunji Adewale, 27, of Nigeria was sentenced today by United States District Judge Joel Slomsky to 60 months in prison and three years of supervised release for money laundering conspiracy and wire fraud related to the sexual extortion and death of a young man in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania,” the statement read.
According to Metcalf, Adewale was arrested in Nigeria on August 17, 2023, during a joint operation involving the Federal Bureau of Investigation targeting sexual extortion suspects preying on victims in the United States.
Metcalf noted that the convict was extradited to the US in February 2026 with the assistance of the US authorities and the Nigerian government.
Following his extradition, Adewale was arraigned and subsequently pleaded guilty in April this year.
Commenting on the conviction, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Philadelphia, Wayne A. Jacobs, said the sentence demonstrates that offenders cannot escape justice by operating outside the United States.
“Today’s sentencing illustrates criminals cannot evade justice, even outside of our borders,” Jacobs said.
“This final sentencing is the result of diligent investigative work and close coordination with our domestic and international law enforcement partners.
“Most importantly, today’s sentence represents our continued commitment to seeking justice for victims and their loved ones. Let today’s sentencing send a clear message: alongside our partners here and abroad, the FBI remains committed to identifying, locating, and bringing to justice those who prey on our communities.”
Also reacting, the chief of the Abington Township Police Department, Patrick Molloy, praised the collaboration between local and federal authorities.
“We are grateful for the federal agents and prosecutors who worked so hard to bring those responsible for this heinous crime to justice.
“This could have been anyone’s child, and while this prosecution may provide some measure of relief, the pain and suffering for this family will never go away,” Molloy said.
The US authorities said Adewale was the last of three Nigerian suspects convicted in connection with the sextortion case.
His co-defendant, Samuel Abiodun, pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy and wire fraud and was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment in June 2025.
Another accomplice, Imoleayo Aina, also known as “Alice Dave,” pleaded guilty to cyberstalking, interstate threat to injure reputation, receiving proceeds of extortion, money laundering conspiracy, and wire fraud, and was sentenced to six years’ imprisonment in October 2025.
“I hope that their arrests, extradition, and prosecution make clear that the DOJ will go after those terrorising our young people — no matter where the scammers and sextortionists may be.
“Though this case is now closed, our thoughts will remain with a family and community forever changed,” Metcalf noted.
The administration of United States President Donald Trump has finalised a new rule limiting most foreign students and exchange visitors to a maximum stay of four years, unless they obtain an extension from the federal government, The Washington Post reported on Thursday.
The new regulation, announced by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), ends the long-standing “duration of status” policy, which allowed international students to remain in the United States for the length of their academic programmes, provided they complied with visa requirements.
The restriction applies to holders of F-1 student visas and J-1 exchange visitor visas.
According to The Washington Post, the DHS acknowledged concerns that some students may struggle to complete their academic programmes within the new timeframe, noting that many bachelor’s degree programmes take more than four years to complete, while doctoral programmes often require significantly longer.
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said the change was necessary to strengthen immigration enforcement and reduce visa overstays.
“For nearly half a century, the outdated ‘duration of status’ system has compromised national security and created an environment ripe for immigration fraud,” Mullin said.
The policy has drawn criticism from NAFSA: Association of International Educators, which described the move as unnecessary and warned that it would create uncertainty for international students.
“DHS’ decision to end Duration of Status is a misguided and unnecessary policy shift that injects uncertainty, bureaucracy, and fear into a system that has long worked effectively,” NAFSA Executive Director Fanta Aw said.
The new rule comes as many US colleges and universities continue to face challenges in attracting international students amid tighter immigration policies and visa restrictions introduced by the Trump administration.
A coroner’s court in the United Kingdom has ruled that a 27-year-old Nigerian woman, Beatrice Solomon, died by suicide after battling mental health challenges linked to personal difficulties.
Beatrice, who relocated from Nigeria to the UK on a skilled worker visa in November 2023, was found unresponsive in her home on Norris Road, Stanfield.
According to a report by The Sentinel on Sunday, the inquest heard that her husband, Damian Butler, had left home for his delivery job at about 4:30 pm on the day of the incident before returning approximately two hours later to use the toilet, where he discovered his wife unresponsive.
A police officer, PC Hinchliffe, told the court that emergency responders arrived shortly afterwards, but Beatrice was pronounced dead at the scene at 6:21pm.
According to the report, the investigators ruled out any third-party involvement in her death.
During the hearing, Butler told the court that his wife had struggled with her mental health over the past year, which he attributed to ongoing issues involving Stoke-on-Trent City Council.
He also disclosed that he later became aware that Beatrice had made two previous attempts to take her life.
“It is clear to me that Beatrice had researched and planned how to take her life. I can only extend my sincere condolences to Beatrice’s family and friends,” the coroner said.
Beatrice, who worked as a carer in the UK, is survived by her husband, a son, and her siblings.
This tragedy highlights the emotional and mental health challenges some migrants may face while adjusting to life in a new country.
According to the World Health Organisation, research from various countries has shown that some migrants face increased mental health risks due to factors such as separation from their families, financial stress, uncertainty, discrimination, and cultural barriers.
The WHO stated that the findings underscore the need for accessible mental health support and timely interventions for migrants experiencing psychological distress.
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