Regulation

Burkina Faso has declined a proposal from the United States to accept deportees, including non-citizens, as communicated by Foreign Minister Karamoko Jean-Marie Traoré. This decision aligns with the country’s principles of dignity as stated by Capt. Ibrahim Traoré, the military leader of Burkina Faso.

The announcement was made shortly after the US Embassy in Ouagadougou suspended most visa services for Burkina Faso residents, redirecting them to the embassy in Togo. The embassy did not provide an explanation for this change. Traoré suggested that the suspension might serve as a pressure tactic, emphasizing Burkina Faso’s stance as a “land of dignity, not deportation.”

The US Embassy in Ouagadougou and the Department of Homeland Security have not issued any comments regarding this situation.

Financial Incentives and Deportation Program

Since July, the United States has deported more than 40 individuals to Africa under a third-country deportation program, involving agreements with at least five African nations. These agreements, which have faced opposition from rights groups, include deportations to Eswatini, South Sudan, Rwanda, and Ghana, with a pending agreement with Uganda.

Currently, six deportees are detained in South Sudan, and Rwanda has yet to disclose the location of seven deportees. In Ghana, 11 deportees have filed a lawsuit against the government, citing poor conditions at a military camp in Accra.

Human Rights Watch has reported that the US administration offered financial incentives to some African nations for accepting deportees. Eswatini is set to receive $5.1 million for migration and border management, while Rwanda is to receive $7.5 million.