Burkina Faso’s military government has rejected a U.S. request to accept deportees, prompting Washington to suspend visa issuance in the West African country. Foreign Affairs Minister Karamoko Jean-Marie Traoré questioned whether the move amounted to “blackmail,” after he reportedly declined a U.S. proposal for Burkina Faso to take in migrants from third countries.
The U.S. has been reaching out to African nations as part of former President Donald Trump’s renewed immigration crackdown, seeking destinations for deported migrants.In a statement, the U.S. State Department said it remained committed to ending illegal and mass migration and strengthening border security. The Department of Homeland Security has yet to comment on the development.
Burkina Faso’s leader, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, who came to power in a coup three years ago, has positioned himself as a pan-African advocate resisting Western influence. Relations between his government and Western countries have been strained since the takeover. Speaking on state broadcaster RTB on Thursday, the foreign minister questioned the U.S. decision, saying, “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 explained that he had met with U.S. embassy officials a day earlier, during which he once again rejected Washington’s offer to take in deportees. Following that meeting, the U.S. embassy in Ouagadougou announced a temporary suspension of all visa services, including immigrant, tourist, student, and business visas. Residents of Burkina Faso are now required to apply for visas at the U.S. embassy in Lomé, Togo.
Traoré said he had received a diplomatic note from the U.S. explaining that Burkina Faso was placed on a list of countries whose citizens had allegedly violated U.S. visa regulations, and referring again to the proposal his government had turned down.
In recent months, several African countries — including Eswatini, Ghana, Rwanda, and South Sudan — have agreed to accept deportees from the United States. On Monday, Eswatini reportedly took in 10 deportees described by U.S. officials as “serious criminals,” following a similar transfer of five individuals earlier this year. Nigeria, however, has publicly refused to accept deportees from the U.S.Minister Traoré condemned Washington’s request, saying, “Naturally, this proposal, which we considered indecent at the time, runs completely contrary to the principle of dignity.”
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