European Refugee Policy and Its Application to Nigerian Asylum Seekers in Germany

This study analyses European refugee and asylum policy, particularly the Dublin Regulation and Germany's national implementation framework, as applied to Nigerian asylum seekers in Germany. Nigeria has been among the top ten source countries for asylum applications in Germany for several consecutive years, driven by a combination of security threats in the North-East, economic marginalisation, and political instability. This descriptive research draws on German Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) statistical data, EU Asylum Agency reports, and secondary academic literature published between 2020 and 2024. Testimonial accounts and case documentation from Nigerian community associations in Germany and German-based human rights organisations are used to provide qualitative depth. The study examines the profile of Nigerian asylum applicants in Germany, the predominant grounds for asylum claims, the recognition rates for Nigerians under German law, and the legal and social challenges facing rejected asylum seekers including deportation proceedings. The research also considers how German asylum policy interacts with EU-level harmonisation efforts under the New Pact on Migration and Asylum. Findings contribute to undergraduate discourse on European migration governance and the rights of African asylum seekers within the EU framework. Keywords: European refugee policy, Nigerian asylum seekers, Germany, Dublin Regulation, BAMF.