Burkina Faso has announced that it turned down a proposal from the United States to accept foreigners being deported as part of President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown.
Trump’s administration has sought to deport millions of immigrants living illegally in the U.S. and has been pushing to send some of them to third countries, including several in Africa.
In contrast, Burkina Faso’s neighbor Ghana said in September that it had agreed to receive nationals from other West African countries.
However, Burkina Faso’s Foreign Minister, Karamoko Jean-Marie Traore, told a national broadcaster on Thursday night that Ouagadougou had rejected several requests from the Trump administration to take in third-country deportees, according to Reuters.
“Burkina Faso is not a land of deportation,” Traore declared, describing the U.S. request as “unworthy and indecent.”
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He noted that while Burkina Faso had recently lifted visa fees for all Africans, its openness should not be misinterpreted.
“Our hospitality should not be seen as an opportunity for a third country to get rid of certain populations that it considers undesirable,” he said.
Burkina Faso’s military-led government, headed by Ibrahim Traore, came to power after two coups in 2022. Relations between the junta and Western nations have become increasingly tense as the country strengthens its ties with Russia.
Following the developments, the U.S. Embassy in Ouagadougou suspended all routine visa services starting Friday and advised residents to seek assistance from the embassy in Lome, Togo.
No explanation was provided for the suspension. The U.S. State Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding whether Washington had attempted to send third-country deportees to Burkina Faso.
Traore did not disclose what Burkina Faso might have received had it agreed to the proposal.
Meanwhile, Ghana clarified that its decision to accept West African deportees did not signal approval of Trump’s immigration policy and that it was not receiving any compensation in return.
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Image Credit: TRT Afrika
