CANADA- Following the strict law against homosexuality in Nigeria, it has been gathered that Nigerians are now top asylum seekers in Canada.
The Canadian authorities in its report revealed that two out of every three Nigerian applicants claim to be victims of homophobic attacks. It further revealed that Nigeria had 12,138 pending applications as of December 2018, in its Refugee Protection Division of the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada.
While the total number of pending applications from across the world stood at 71,675, it was gathered that Nigerians kicked off Haitians by taking 17% of the top asylum seekers in Canada over homosexuality.
Going by reports, while Haiti came a distant second with 6,811 pending applications, India has 5,175. Mexico has 3,525; Colombia, which ended a civil war barely three years ago, has 3,056 while China has 2,105.
Speaking to CBC News, Jawad Kassab who led the refugee and immigration programme at Legal Aid Ontario in 2017, said the agency had identified an unusual pattern in sexual orientation claims filed by Nigerian refugee seekers. He further said he was concerned that if claims were fabricated, refugees with legitimate claims might have a harder time getting the help they need.
