Nimba County — The Executive Director of the Liberia Refugee Repatriation and Resettlement Commission (LRRRC), Cllr. Jeror Cole Bangalu, says more than 14,600 people described locally as “Burkinabi ” are now living in Nimba County and parts of the southeast, including Grand Gedeh.
By Franklin Doloquee / Nimba County
While many originally worked in cocoa production, some have shifted into mining notably gold mining in counties such as Grand Gedeh.
Bangalu warned that the growing presence of Burkinabi migrants poses multiple challenges, including security concerns and environmental damage.
He said the situation has reached the attention of President Joseph Nyuma Boakai and the national government, which must determine how to response.
LRRRC and partners working with government.
The LRRRC director stated that his agency and other relevant institutions are collaborating with government to address the influx on a daily basis.
He noted that the arrival and activities of the Burkinabi Migrants are affecting public lands and protected areas, including forest reserves.
Origins and local recruitment
Field reports indicate that citizens from Kparblee in Nimba and communities in Grand Gedeh and other southeastern counties have traveled to neighboring Côte d’Ivoire to recruit Burkinabi Migrants to work cocoa farms in Liberia.
In exchange for labour, recruiters provide land for cocoa cultivation.
The process, according to local observers, has become routine: Liberians cross into Côte d’Ivoire to bring workers back to their farms.
Local tensions and social impacts
The influx has created tensions within communities.
Some residents oppose the presence of Burkinabi Migrants, saying their arrival damages land and forests.
Others benefit financially from cocoa production and defend the practice. Bangalu and local leaders report disputes between families and neighbors over land use and environmental degradation.
Social integration and citizenship concerns.
Officials say some Burkinabi Migrants are forming intimate relationships with Liberian women, leading to children born in Liberia.
This has raised questions about nationality, social integration and the long-term legal status of these migrants and their children.
Government assessment, scale and policy response.
A separate government assessment presented during a three-day validation workshop on the country’s five-year strategic plan and new migration policy described the influx as “alarming.”
The assessment estimated roughly 140,600 Burkinabi Migrants across Liberia, concentrated in southeastern counties , a higher figure than earlier LRRRC estimates.
While most are reportedly engaged in cocoa farming, a portion is involved in irregular or illegal mining and encroachment on protected forest areas.
Government officials said the matter has been elevated to the presidency and cabinet.
A policy working group composed of line ministries, the Liberia Immigration Service, land-management agencies, and development partners (including UNFPA) is finalizing policy instruments to clarify agency roles, legalize migrants’ documentation and economic activities where appropriate, and resolve their status.
Institutional changes and next steps
Authorities plan to expand the country’s migration architecture by transitioning the existing National Refugee and Migration Secretariat into a dedicated Refugee and Migration Commission (RAMCO).
A draft bill for this change is reportedly ready for submission to the presidency, after which the Legislature would consider ratification.
Officials averred that the validated five-year plan and migration policy are critical to broadening the government’s response beyond traditional refugee assistance.
Repatriations and regional context
Officials also confirmed recent repatriations of Liberians from South Africa after xenophobic attacks there, underscoring the broader migration challenges facing the country and region.
What’s next
The presidency and cabinet are reviewing recommendations from the field assessment. Final measures and the government’s approach to the Burkinabi Migration will be announced after interagency consultations and the conclusion of the validation workshop.
