Burkina Faso has rejected a U.S. proposal to receive deportees, prompting Washington to suspend the issuance of visas in the West African nation.
Foreign Affairs Minister Karamoko Jean-Marie Traoré questioned whether the U.S. decision amounted to “blackmail” after he turned down an offer for Burkina Faso to accept migrants from third countries. Appearing on national broadcaster RTB, Traoré asked, “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.”
The U.S. Embassy in Ouagadougou announced that it would temporarily halt the issuance of immigrant, tourist, student, and business visas. Residents seeking such documents will now have to travel to neighboring Togo. A diplomatic note from Washington cited Burkina Faso’s failure to comply with U.S. visa regulations as the reason for the suspension.
The decision comes as President Donald Trump’s administration continues its immigration crackdown, seeking to deport migrants in the U.S. illegally, including to African countries. Several nations—among them Eswatini, Ghana, Rwanda, and South Sudan—have recently accepted deportees from the U.S. Eswatini received 10 individuals earlier this week, following an earlier group of five described by U.S. authorities as serious offenders.
However, others have refused. Nigeria has publicly stated that it will not take in deportees from the United States, while Burkina Faso now joins that stance.
Traoré emphasized that the proposal “runs completely contrary to the principle of dignity.”
As Washington looks to expand deportation destinations, questions remain over whether other African countries will agree to take in third-country migrants removed from the United States.
