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This story by Jean Sovon and Laura originally appeared on Global Voices on October 25, 2025.
Ibrahim Traoré, the President of Burkina Faso, has refused US President Donald Trump’s request to accept migrants deported from the United States. In retaliation, on October 9th, the US embassy in Burkina Faso’s capital, Ouagadougou, announced that it would be temporarily pausing visa services for Burkinabé applicants, forcing them to go to nearby Togo instead for visa applications.
Since his return to the White House in January 2025, Donald Trump has pursued a migration policy of systematically deporting what he calls “illegal immigrants” to their home countries or other states altogether.
Several African countries, such as Rwanda, Eswatini, Ghana, and South Sudan, have signed deportation agreements with Washington, agreeing to accept deportees, regardless of their country of origin. The Trump administration has since aimed to expand this list, showing a particular interest in Burkina Faso.
Since September 11, 2025, Burkina Faso has implemented a free-of-charge visa policy for all African nationals wishing to visit. This policy intends to promote tourism and Burkinabé culture and raise Burkina Faso’s profile abroad.
As Mahamadou Sana, the Burkinabé Security Minister and Police Superintendent, explains, this policy is in no way a deportation gateway:
According to Karamoko Jean-Marie Traoré, Burkina Faso’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Trump administration, looking to take advantage of this opportunity, requested to use Burkina Faso as a deportation destination. However, this proposal didn’t go down well with the Ouagadougou authorities. On October 9, 2025, Karamoko Jean-Marie Traoré, quoted in French newspaper Le Monde, stated on national television:
Traoré announced that his country had refused this US proposal. He added:
Needless to say, his refusal didn’t go down well with Washington.
Given the Burkinabé authorities’ unyielding stance, the US embassy has temporarily suspended routine visa issuance services for most Burkinabé nationals, redirecting all applications to neighboring Togo. Now, all applicants must travel to Lomé, the Togolese capital. Karamoko Jean Marie Traoré explained:
This decision surprised Burkinabé citizens, who hadn’t expected such an extreme retaliatory measure, especially since their country had maintained good relations with Washington before its announcement.
Donald Trump’s Africa policy has undergone significant changes in recent months, including the suspension of legislation like the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which “provides eligible sub-Saharan African countries with duty-free access to the US market” and the closure of some embassies on the continent. This new diplomatic approach risks causing strained relations between the US and African nations in the coming months.
After underscoring that Burkina Faso maintains good relations with all countries that respect it, Traoré emphasized that Burkina Faso will act accordingly:
The Burkinabé authorities’ staunchness sends a strong message to all Western countries, indicating a renewed determination to maintain the national sovereignty held since Ibrahim Traoré‘s military regime takeover on September 30, 2022.
The latest coups d’état in Central Sahel countries, such as Burkina Faso (September 2022), Mali (May 2021), and Niger (July 2023), have reshaped their political landscapes. Today, these countries, under military rule and united within the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), have expressed their desire to break away from Western influence.
Burkina Faso isn’t the first country to reject the proposal to accept deportees from the United States. During a visit to Washington in July 2025, Yusuf Tuggar, Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, told BBC Africa:
According to this BBC Africa article, the Wall Street Journal reported that other African countries are reportedly on Donald Trump’s list of potential lands of deportation. The US president is attempting to persuade the presidents of Liberia, Senegal, Mauritania, Gabon, and Guinea-Bissau to reach said agreement.
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