A majority out of 173 Burkinabe refugees have been deported by Ivory Coast amid concerns of migratory irregularities and potential threats to the nation’s security.
On July 13, 2024, a group of 173 Burkinabe, predominantly women, children, and about fifty men, arrived in Ouangolodougou, Ivory Coast. Many of these refugees who migrated to Ivory Coast were fleeing the instability that has been rife in their homeland since 2021.
However, three days later, 164 of the refugees were deported back to Burkina Faso without any official explanation. This comes after ongoing efforts to accommodate a dozen of these refugees who have been hosted by local families while others reside in Ivory Coast’s reception centres.
Reports say that many of these refugees have failed to register with the host government which leaves the nation unaware of how many refugees presently reside in Ivory Coast.
The Burkinabe government has expressed regret over the deportation of its citizens, who recently sought refuge in Ivory Coast.
