Liberia Refuge Repatriation and Resettlement Commission (LRRRC) and partners have agreed to jointly solve the problem relating to the influx of illegal Burkinabe nationals into Liberia.
As a way of solving the problem, the LRRRC and other stakeholders including the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) as well as the International Organization for Migration (IOM) agreed to identify the root cause of the problem as the first step in solving the issue. The decision was reached by the institutions at a one-day stakeholders dialogue held Friday August 16, 2024, at the Paynersville Town Hall. The dialogue was intended for the LRRRC and partners to brainstorm on the alarming increase in the rate of undocumented immigrants, mainly Burkinabes in Liberia. The one-day dialogue brought together Stakeholders, international partners, youth groups, student community, host counties leadership and local Chiefs. The key issues discussed by the selected panelists include Social Protection, Human Rights and Safety Net for Women and Children around border communities, Political and Foreign Implications, Community and local government documentation process for security stability. It also focused on Environmental, Ecological and Conservation, setback and challenges for forested communities, affected communities’ relationship with Burkinabes, social protection implications and impact, economic implications as well as the gains and challenges. Meanwhile, LRRRC Executive Director Patrick T. Worzi, stressed that LRRRC and partners will begin the finding and documentations as well as status regularization of the Burkinabes. The LRRRC boss noted that they will also embark on a week-long awareness campaign especially in their host counties and subsequent commencement of voluntary registration and profiling of Burkinabe nationals. Additionally, the Commissioner General of the Liberia Immigration Service (LIS) Steven Zargo, has attributed the influx of the Burkinabes into Liberia to the lack of manpower and logistics to protect all Liberian borders. Commissioner Zargo called on the National Legislature and the Executive to see the need to provide more support to the LIS to avoid the illegal influx of Burkinabes and other nationals into Liberia. At the same time, the Spokesperson for the Burkinabes Nimba County Chapter, Norine J. Wiles, said the Burkinabes are not troublesome as it has been perceived. “I have Burkinabes currently in my town and they are not causing any problem for us, the only thing they are after is to get land make their farms, they are hardworking people, and I can tell you about few years from now Liberia will be one of the highest cocoa producers in West Africa through those Burkinabes,” Mr. Wiles asserted. LINA