Burkina Faso Rejects U.S. Deportation Deal, Calls Proposal “Indecent” as Visa Services Suspended

Burkina Faso’s military-led government has rejected an offer from the United States to accept deported migrants as part of Washington’s renewed third-country deportation policy under President Donald Trump.

Foreign Aff

airs Minister Karamoko Jean-Marie Traoré announced on Thursday that the proposal was “indecent” and violated the country’s principles of dignity and sovereignty. Speaking on national television, Traoré said Burkina Faso would not serve as a dumping ground for people expelled from the United States.

“Naturally, this proposal, which we considered indecent at the time, runs completely contrary to the principle of dignity,” the minister said. “Burkina Faso is a place of dignity, a destination, not a place of expulsion.”

The decision marks a direct rebuff to Washington’s efforts to expand its controversial policy of deporting migrants to third countries, even when they have no prior connection to those nations. Recent reports indicate that countries such as Eswatini, Ghana, Rwanda, and South Sudan have accepted limited numbers of U.S. deportees under similar arrangements.

Hours before Traoré’s televised address, the U.S. Embassy in Ouagadougou announced the suspension of regular visa services for most categories, including tourist, business, and student visas. The embassy advised applicants to process their requests through the U.S. Embassy in Lomé, Togo.

While the U.S. government has not publicly linked the visa suspension to Burkina Faso’s refusal, analysts note that the timing highlights deepening diplomatic friction between Washington and Ouagadougou.

Since seizing power in a 2022 coup, Burkina Faso’s junta, led by Captain Ibrahim Traoré, has adopted a distinctly anti-Western stance cutting ties with France and aligning more closely with Russia. The government has repeatedly positioned itself as part of a new wave of African nationalism rejecting Western interference.

The move is expected to further strain relations between Burkina Faso and the United States, which has already reduced non-essential diplomatic operations in the country amid growing insecurity in the Sahel region.