Burkina Faso’s military government has refused to take in deportees from the US as Washington suspended issuing visas in the West African nation.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Karamoko Jean-Marie Traoré questioned if the embassy’s decision was “blackmail” after he said he had rejected an American proposal to take in migrants from third countries.
Donald Trump’s administration has turned to African countries as a destination to deport migrants to as part of his crackdown on immigration.
The US State Department and Department of Homeland Security have been contacted for comment.
Burkina Faso’s leader Capt Ibrahim Traoré styles himself as a pan-African champion, standing up to Western imperialism.
His military government seized power in a coup three years ago, and has had a frosty relationship with Western nations ever since.
Appearing on state broadcaster RTB late on Thursday, the foreign minister 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.”
He said he had a meeting with the US Embassy on Wednesday in which he rejected the offer – that he said had been made repeatedly – to accept deportees.
On Thursday, the US embassy in Burkina Faso’s capital Ouagadougou announced on its website that it would temporarily pause issuing immigrant, tourist, student and business traveller visas.
Instead, residents of Burkina Faso will have to travel to the US embassy in the capital of neighbouring Togo.
Foreign Minister Traoré said he had received a diplomatic note from the US explaining that Burkina Faso was put on a list of countries whose nationals had not respected rules around US visas and referring to the US proposals, according to a local news outlet’s transcript of the interview.
Several African countries – Eswatini, Ghana, Rwanda and South Sudan – have all accepted people from third countries expelled from the US in recent months.
On Monday, Eswatini accepted 10 deportees despite legal challenges, adding to an earlier group of five, which the US had described as serious criminals.
However, Nigeria has said it would not take any US deportees.
Trump’s crackdown aims to deport millions of immigrants in the US illegally.
“Naturally, this proposal, which we considered indecent at the time, runs completely contrary to the principle of dignity,” Traoré added.
