Nigeria was among several countries whose nationals used Canada’s 2026 World Cup visitor visas to enter the country before filing asylum claims, according to Canadian immigration authorities.
World Cup Visas, Asylum Claims — 175 and Counting
Ten Nigerians walked into Canada on World Cup tickets — and stayed for something else entirely.
According to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), in a statement to the Globe and Mail, 175 of the 26,111 people granted World Cup-specific temporary visas have since filed asylum claims, even though the Super Eagles never made it to the tournament, according to Peoples Gazette.
Ghana topped the list with 25 claimants, followed by Egypt (15) and Colombia (15), all nations whose teams played in Toronto or Vancouver. Kenya, China and Bangladesh also featured, alongside a handful from visa-exempt countries like France and Qatar.
The IRCC noted the count only reflects applicants who specifically flagged “FIFA World Cup 26” in their visa paperwork.
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