More Burkinabe Nationals Move to Liberia, but LIS Lacks Residence Permit Data

 

Liberia Immigration Services (LIS) says Burkinabés top the list of migrants to the country; however, the institution has no data on the number of those who have resident permits.

In response to a freedom of information request, LIS, following a national registration exercise, found that “tens of thousands of Burkinabé were living across southeastern Liberia." LIS, however, did not indicate how many of the immigrants had received resident permits or been deported for illegal stay. 

Between May and August 2025, 58,600 Burkinabé were registered, yet there is no record of residence permits granted to them. 

The statistics covered 2023 to May 2026, and they showed that Burkinabé nationals are by far the largest group that moved to Liberia, followed by other African countries, including the Ivory Coast. 

The LIS said many of the immigrants arrived through informal crossings and work within agriculture. 

While there is no definitive explanation for the high number of Burkinabé nationals migrating to Liberia, UNHCR reports that Burkina Faso is facing a dire humanitarian crisis. According to Burkina Faso officials,  over 2 million people were internally displaced (IDPs) at the end of 2024.

In 2024, France24 reported that Liberia’s “untouched forest” was attracting farmers from neighboring countries for cocoa. The report said 25,000 farmers from the Ivory Coast had crossed the border into Liberia, “threatening 250,000 hectares of virgin forest with destruction by cocoa cultivation.” These developments in Liberia are facilitated by the country’s weak monitoring, large rainforests, and higher cocoa prices. 

Ivory Coast is said to have lost 90 percent of its forest to cocoa farming over the last six decades, and Liberia risks experiencing a similar challenge. Already, Liberia has lost 386,000 hectares of primary forests between 2002 and 2024, according to Global Forest Watch, which tracks annual deforestation. 

These statistics are tied to immigration. Data shows that over 1,000 Liberians host at least one Burkinabé farmer, known locally by their ethnic group, the Mossi, who are spread mainly across Maryland, River Gee, and Grand Gedeh.

In Grand Gedeh alone, the number of registered Burkinabés has exceeded 36,000. To ensure smooth registration, immigration authorities have established 18 registration sectors across the country to capture records of more immigrants

Across the southeastern region, cocoa farming is splitting families and communities, court records show. The Zwedru City Magisterial Court has recorded at least 10 similar cases. In 2025, 31 people were jailed at the Zwedru Correction Palace.

In May 2025, the Liberia National Police Bong Detachment charged and sent to court two Burkinabé nationals allegedly involved in illegal and hazardous mining operations in the Gbankonah area of District 4, Bong County. 

The Bong County Crime Services Commander James Carto identified the suspects as Harouna Ouedraogo, 44, and Barchezu Sorie, 42. He said they were charged with economic sabotage, theft, criminal conspiracy, and other related crimes and turned over to the court for prosecution.

As of April 2026, the Bureau of Corrections disclosed that six Burkinabes are in prison; three are pre-trial detainees, while three were convicted.

Despite bemoaning the situation, the government has hinted at the many challenges affecting its efforts to deal with the illegal immigration of Burkinabés and their engagement in work without resident permits. 

Bong County’s LIS Commander and Assistant Comptroller of Immigration, Richard Saye Mehnpaine, told the Observer that the Burkinabés cannot be deported because they are ECOWAS citizens.

He said that despite Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger breaking away from ECOWAS, the regional body still asked member countries to maintain their sovereignty as part of ECOWAS.

“What we are doing is to ensure that they get their resident permit and live in the confines of the law,” he said.

ACI. Mehnpaine notes that as of now, they don't know the number of Burkinabé in the affected communities. He also mentioned that they are engaging the communities to cooperate with LIS by informing them of the number of Burkinabé within their areas. 

“What we have established is that the community people sent for these Burkinabé as casual labor for their cocoa farm, so what we are saying is to keep us informed of the number of foreigners each family is hiring,” he said.

The Liberia Immigration Service also outlined some challenges in pursuing the Burkinabés to their bases in forests. 

“We don't have the required mobility to effectively do our work in manning this county; we have no car, and we have limited manpower, especially those that are equipped,” he asserted, adding that,  “we cannot send unarmed men in the forest to pursue those foreigners; we don't know what is in their possession or where they are,” he said.

Within many communities, there are concerns that the influx of Burkinabés would worsen due to the rise in the price of cocoa in Liberia.  

Nearly all the Burkinabés entering the country are seeking land to farm, especially in the cocoa sector, where, upon entering, they will move deep into the forest and begin carrying on cultivation.

Most of those hired do cost-sharing, where both they and locals divide the farm 50/50 whenever the farm is mature for harvesting.

In response to mounting public concerns over a wave of undocumented foreign nationals—particularly from Burkina Faso—the House of Representatives summoned the heads of several key government agencies to appear before the Plenary on Tuesday, May 20, 2025.

The summons follows a formal communication from Maryland County District #2 Representative Anthony Williams, who described the influx as a “silent national emergency” threatening Liberia’s security, environment, and sovereignty.

“This is the second time I am raising this matter before this honorable body,” Rep. Williams asserted. “The continuous arrival of undocumented Burkinabé immigrants in the southeast is not just a local issue—it is a serious national security threat.”

Williams cited alarming reports that many of these undocumented individuals are involved in illegal activities ranging from the manufacturing of single-barrel firearms and unauthorized farming to illicit gold mining and encroachment on protected forest reserves. He added that there are rising allegations of intimidation and threats against residents in the affected areas.

Security expert R. Cherbo Geeply says Liberia’s porous borders and limited resources to monitor and manage the influx of refugees create vulnerabilities that could be exploited by malicious actors.

The presence of so many refugees in remote areas strains the capacity of local authorities to maintain law and order.

“These regions often lack adequate infrastructure, security personnel, and resources to monitor the movement of people effectively, making them potential hotspots for criminal activities such as smuggling, human trafficking, and the illicit trade in arms and drugs.”

Geeply said the inability to properly screen and document refugees further exacerbates the risk of individuals with criminal or extremist affiliations entering the country undetected.

“Moreover, the competition for scarce resources such as land, water, and food between refugees and host communities could lead to tensions and conflicts,” he said.

Geeply added that in Grand Gedeh County, where the majority of Burkinabe refugees are concentrated, the local population may perceive the refugees as a threat to their livelihoods, potentially sparking intercommunal violence. Such conflicts could destabilize the region and divert the attention of security forces from other critical areas, weakening Liberia’s overall security posture.

The situation in Liberia, according to him, is not isolated but is part of a broader regional crisis in West Africa. Burkina Faso, the country of origin for the refugees, has been grappling with a severe security crisis characterized by violent extremism, ethnic conflicts, and political instability.

The spillover effects of this crisis are evident in neighboring countries, including Mali, Niger, and now Liberia. The movement of refugees across borders not only highlights the interconnectedness of regional security challenges but also underscores the need for a coordinated response.

“If left unaddressed, the refugee crisis in Liberia could undermine regional peace efforts. The presence of large refugee populations in border areas creates opportunities for extremist groups to recruit vulnerable individuals, establish safe havens, and expand their operations across borders.”

Geeply said the porous nature of Liberia’s borders makes it easier for these groups to move freely, posing a threat not only to Liberia but also to neighboring countries. This could reignite conflicts in a region that has already experienced significant instability, including civil wars and coups d’état.

Recently, President Boakai expressed concern over the growing presence of undocumented Burkinabè nationals operating in Liberia’s mining sector, describing the issue as one of his administration’s most pressing challenges.

At the 20th Cabinet Meeting, Boakai said illegal mining activities involving foreign nationals have become a major concern.

Additionally, the LIS says there is no record or annual report on deportation counts or migration.

The International Organization on Migration summarizes Liberia’s migration governance, which is supported by the new data initiatives and Executive Order No. 159 from February 2026 to strengthen migration data/policy coordination.

The 2022 Liberia thematic report on migration states that a total of 102,074 persons were enumerated as international migrants (non-Liberians), translating into 1.96 percent of the country’s total population. Out of the 102,074 immigrants, 61.5 percent are males, and the remaining are females.

"West African nationals form 93 per cent of the immigrant population, with Guinea contributing the largest (42.4 per cent). Three out of every 5 immigrants reside in Montserrado County. The county that hosts the second-largest immigrant population is Grand Gedeh, with 9.1 percent. Bomi and River Cess Counties host the least number of immigrants, with a share of less than 1 percent each," the report states.

Net migration is said to be negative; Liberia had a net migration of -5,002 in 2023 and -7,779 in 2024, meaning more people left than arrived.

While refugee stock: Liberia hosted 1,164 refugees as of 2023, up 87.7% from 2022. Not all refugees get resident permits—many remain under refugee status.

The LIS, however, disclosed that 20 Burkinabé nationals from Grand Kru County have been deported but cannot put a number to the total number that have been deported in full. They were intercepted at Topoh Checkpoint in Barclayville after entering through the Behwan border point.

This is in line with a mid-September 2025 directive barring Burkinabé from settling in counties pending new policy. The group was escorted to the Ivorian border for departure.

Additionally, the  Executive Director of the Liberia Refugee Repatriation and Resettlement Commission (LRRRC), Cllr. Jero Cole Bargalu has revealed that approximately 140,500 migrants, predominantly Burkinabe nationals, are currently residing in southeastern Liberia.,

Meanwhile, LIS says 269 former Ivorian refugees got resident permits after it collaborated with the Liberia Refugee Repatriation and Resettlement Commission (LRRRC), which launched biometric registration for those who permanently settled in Liberia.

LIS noted that the action is under Executive Order 144 signed by President Joseph N. Boakai to regularize Refugees and Vulnerable Populations in Liberia.

The registration took place in Montserrado, Nimba, Grand Gedeh, and Maryland counties.

The permit granted them includes access to education, healthcare, and housing, and they’ll be added to the National Identification Registry.