Italy rejected 2,220 Nigerian asylum applications in 2025, while 1,175 Nigerians received some form of international or national protection, according to a new report on the country’s asylum system.
The figures were contained in the Asylum Information Database 2025 Country Report on Italy, produced by the Association for Legal Studies on Immigration under the European Council on Refugees and Exiles’ project.
The report showed that 3,385 Nigerians applied for asylum in Italy during the year, making Nigeria the only sub-Saharan African country among the top 10 nationalities seeking asylum in the country.
Of the 3,390 decisions recorded on Nigerian applications in 2025, 660 applicants were granted full refugee status, representing a recognition rate of 19.47%. Another 55 Nigerians received subsidiary protection, while 460 were granted Italy’s national special protection status.
The combined 1,175 approvals translated into an overall protection rate of 34.66 per cent for Nigerians, above Italy’s national average of 30 per cent.
Italy Refugee Status
Full refugee status is granted to people who face persecution because of factors such as race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership of a particular social group. Subsidiary protection covers applicants who face serious harm but do not qualify for refugee status.
Italy’s special protection category provides a separate form of protection under its national legal framework.
Despite the approvals, thousands of Nigerian applications remained unresolved. The report stated that 4,120 Nigerian cases were pending before Italian authorities as of December 31, 2025.
Italy registered 126,635 first-time asylum applications in 2025, down from 151,120 in 2024. However, the total remained substantially higher than the 77,200 applications recorded in 2022.
Italian authorities issued 104,560 first-instance decisions during 2025, with the overall protection rate, including special protection, falling to 30 per cent from 35 per cent in 2024 and 47 per cent in 2022.
Across all nationalities, 5,965 applicants received refugee status, representing 5.7% of decisions. A further 11,455 received subsidiary protection, while 13,945 were granted national protection.
By the end of December 2025, Italy had 234,165 asylum applications awaiting decisions.
Italy Rejects 2,220 Nigerian Asylum Claims in 2025
