Burkina Faso’s military government has firmly rejected a request from the United States to accept migrants deported under President Donald Trump’s renewed immigration policy, calling the proposal “indecent” and a violation of national dignity.
Since Trump’s return to the White House, his administration has intensified efforts to deport migrants to third countries — often nations with little or no direct connection to those being expelled.
In recent months, several African countries, including Eswatini, Ghana, Rwanda, and South Sudan, have reportedly agreed to host some of the deportees.
However, Burkina Faso has taken a different stance. Speaking on national television, Foreign Affairs Minister Karamoko Jean-Marie Traore confirmed that the West African nation had turned down Washington’s overtures.
“Naturally, this proposal, which we considered indecent at the time, runs completely contrary to the principle of dignity,” Traore said.
Earlier on Thursday, the US Embassy in Ouagadougou announced the suspension of regular visa services for most Burkinabe citizens, who will now need to process their applications through the American Embassy in Lome, Togo.
Reacting to the move, Traore questioned Washington’s motives.
“Is this a way to put pressure on us? Is this blackmail? Whatever it is… Burkina Faso is a place of dignity, a destination, not a place of expulsion,” he stated.
Since seizing power in a September 2022 coup, Captain Ibrahim Traore’s military government has pursued a strong anti-imperialist and Pan-African agenda, distancing itself from France and other Western powers while strengthening ties with Russia.
The latest development underscores the growing diplomatic rift between Ouagadougou and Western capitals over migration and foreign policy alignment.
