At least 2,220 Nigerian asylum applicants had their claims rejected in Italy in 2025, while 660 were granted full refugee status, according to a report by the Asylum Information Database (AIDA).
The figures are contained in the AIDA 2025 Country Report on Italy, a publication by the European Council on Refugees and Exiles (ECRE), compiled using data from Italy’s Asylum Service and the European Union Agency for Asylum.
The report, produced by the Association for Legal Studies on Immigration, recorded 3,385 asylum applications from Nigerians during the year, making Nigeria the only sub-Saharan African country among Italy’s top 10 nationalities of asylum seekers.
Over 1,100 Nigerians receive protection
According to the report, Italian authorities made 3,390 first-instance decisions on Nigerian asylum cases in 2025.
Of these, 660 applicants, representing 19.47 per cent, received full refugee status. The report said this was the highest refugee recognition rate among Italy’s top 10 nationalities of asylum seekers and substantially above the country’s national average of 5.7 per cent.
Another 55 Nigerians, or 1.62 per cent, were granted subsidiary protection, which applies to people facing serious harm who do not qualify for refugee status.
A further 460 applicants, representing 13.57 per cent, received Italy’s national or special protection, known as protezione speciale.
In total, 1,175 Nigerians received some form of protection, giving the country an overall protection rate of 34.66 per cent, above Italy’s national rate of 30 per cent.
However, 4,120 Nigerian asylum cases remained pending as of December 31, 2025.
The report also highlighted rejection rates among other African nationalities seeking asylum in Italy.
Egypt recorded 11,790 applications, the highest among African countries listed in the report. Of 10,685 decisions on Egyptian cases, 8,900, or 83.30 per cent, were rejected.
Morocco recorded 9,485 applications, with 5,695 of 6,315 decisions, representing 90.18 per cent, resulting in rejections.
Tunisia received 6,290 applications, while 5,035 of the 5,895 decisions on Tunisian cases, or 85.41 per cent, were rejected.
The report also recorded Nigerian children among unaccompanied minors seeking asylum in Italy. Sixteen Nigerian children applied under this category in 2025.
Other African nationalities included Gambia, with 61 unaccompanied children; Mali, 44; Guinea, 42; Burkina Faso, 34; Somalia, 30; Ivory Coast, 27; and Senegal, nine.
Italy records fewer asylum applications
Across all nationalities, Italy registered 126,635 first-time asylum applications in 2025, down from 151,120 in 2024.
However, the figure was still substantially higher than the 77,200 applications recorded in 2022.
Italian authorities issued 104,560 first-instance decisions in 2025, while the overall protection rate, including special protection, fell to 30 per cent from 35 per cent in 2024 and 47 per cent in 2022.
The report recorded 5,965 decisions granting refugee status, representing 5.7 per cent of the total.
Another 11,455 decisions, or 10.96 per cent, granted subsidiary protection, while 13,945, or 13.34 per cent, resulted in national protection.
As of December 2025, 234,165 asylum applications remained pending before Italian authorities.
Italy processes asylum claims through 20 Territorial Commissions and 23 sub-commissions. Applicants whose claims are rejected can appeal through the country’s judicial system.
Nigeria’s removal from Italy’s safe-country list
The report also discussed changes to Italy’s asylum procedures affecting Nigerian applicants.
In October 2024, the Court of Justice of the European Union ruled against Italy’s mechanism for designating safe countries of origin, leading to Nigeria’s removal from the list.
The designation had subjected applications from Nigerians to accelerated procedures, which could make it more difficult for applicants to obtain protection.
Italy’s asylum system also faced legal challenges in 2025 over its agreement with Albania, under which some migrants intercepted at sea were transferred to Albanian territory for processing under Italian jurisdiction.
On accommodation, the report said 101,106 asylum seekers were housed in emergency reception centres in Italy as of December 31, 2025. Another 3,342 were in government reception centres, while 3,652 were accommodated in hotspots.
Sea arrivals reached 66,296 in 2025, slightly below the 66,617 recorded in 2024. Bangladesh accounted for the largest number of arrivals, at 20,164, followed by Egypt with 9,091, Eritrea with 7,579, Pakistan with 4,383 and Sudan with 4,183.
