Burkina Faso

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HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

Historically, three ethnic groups – the Mossi, Fulani, and Lobi – dominated the migration flow in Burkina Faso, with each group having its unique pattern (Migration Policy Institute, 2006). Within the Mossi ethnic group, families sent a member at a time to work and stay abroad for about two years before returning home. The Fulani, who are cattle herders, sent a member of their family to go and sell cattle abroad, while the Lobis, who are predominantly farmers, moved in large groups looking for fertile land to cultivate their crops (ibid). Therefore, migration in Burkina Faso has long been a traditional way of life for the Burkinabes, centred on the three key occupations of herding, farming, and trade (Kress, 2006).

The colonisation of the country changed its migration patterns. Under French colonisation and the Colonial Development Act of 1921, Burkina Faso (then named Haute-Volta) became a main labour source for agricultural and factory work in Côte d’Ivoire (Dabire, 2016). Historically, between the world wars, Burkinabes also migrated to Ghana, Mali, and Senegal for work (CIA World Factbook, 2023). Since Burkina Faso's independence in 1960, these migratory trends have continued with Europe becoming a favoured destination for many Burkinabes (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development [OECD], 2017; Westh Olsen, 2014).

In 2022, Burkina Faso experienced two coups d’état within nine months. On 24 January 2022, Damiba ousted Kabore, the first elected civilian president of the country, and on 30 September of that year, Traoré ousted Damiba – all coups executed on the grounds of the deteriorating security situation in the country (Africa Centre for Strategic Studies, 2022). The security situation in the country has been deteriorating since 2018 due to the growing active presence of non-state armed groups, which is increasing forced displacement. The insecurity has spread from the conflict in Mali in 2016 to northern and then eastern Burkina Faso, leading to a spike in human rights violations and abuses (Amnesty International, 2020). The three non-state armed groups active in Burkina Faso are the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS), the Macina Liberation Front (FLM), and Ansaroul Islam, with Ansaroul Islam being the first Burkina Faso non-state armed group (NSAG) (Africa Centre for Strategic Studies, 2019). Since 2017, at least 4,801 Burkinabe civilians have been killed as a result of the conflict (Amnesty International, 2023). 

In 2019 and 2020, the increase in the activities of non-state armed groups, community violence, and the deterioration of security conditions have led to a cycle of violence that has resulted in massive population displacements and an unprecedented humanitarian crisis (Human Rights Watch, 2020). Currently, Burkina Faso has one of the fastest-growing displacement crises in the world (Refugees International, 2023). In addition to conflict and violence, the main drivers of rural-to-urban migration in Burkina Faso are severe droughts combined with challenging economic conditions (African Development Bank, 2022).

MIGRATION POLICIES

Burkina Faso does not have a comprehensive legal framework dealing solely with migration. However, the government has been making an effort to help fill the gaps in its migration policy.

Article 9 of the Constitution of Burkina Faso declares the free movement of persons and goods, the free choice of residence, and the right to asylum (Dabire, 2016). Ordinance No. 84-49 of 4 August 1984 stipulates that any person wishing to leave Burkina Faso must have a passport with an exit visa, a pass admitted by the country of destination, a return ticket, or a repatriation bond (ibid). Article 3 of this ordinance stipulates that to enter Burkina Faso, it is necessary to hold a travel document with a Burkina Faso visa, a return transport ticket, a bond, or exemption from a repatriation bond (ibid). Article 4 requires a residence permit for foreigners wishing to settle for a period exceeding three months (ibid). Finally, Article 11 stipulates that any foreigner in an irregular situation will be refused entry and will be liable to a fine and imprisonment for a period of between one and six months (ibid).

Burkina Faso is a signatory to several regional conventions and treaties:

• The Abuja Treaty establishing the African Economic Community (AEC), which states in Article 4 that freedom of movement of persons is a sine qua non condition for the establishment of an African common market (ibid)
• The 1981 African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights, which authorises free movement and choice of residence within a member state of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and prohibits the collective expulsion of foreigners (ibid)
• The OAU Convention Governing the Specific Aspects of Refugee Problems in Africa, 1969 (ratified in 1974).
• The African Union Convention for the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons in Africa (Kampala Convention), 2009 (ratified in 2012).

Burkina Faso is a signatory to several international agreements related to migration:

• The 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights and its Article 13, which establishes freedom of movement and residence within the borders of a state, as well as the right to leave one's country
• The International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families, ratified by Burkina Faso in 2003.
• The International Labour Organization’s Conventions No. 97 and 143 on migrant workers (ibid).

Burkina Faso is a state party to the UN Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, 1951 and its 1967 Protocol (ratified in 1980); the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, 2000, including its Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women, and Children and its Protocol against the Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea and Air (ratification in 2002); the UN Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons, 1954 (accession in 2012); and the UN Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness, 1961 (accession in 2017). In addition, Burkina Faso is a state party to 16 International Human Rights Treaties, including the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families, 1990 (ratified in 2003). Burkina Faso voted for the endorsement of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM) on 19 December 2018.

GOVERNMENTAL INSTITUTIONS

The main administrative actor in charge of migration in Burkina Faso is the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Cooperation. This ministry is mainly in charge of the management of Burkinabe abroad. It includes and supervises the National Commission for Integration, the National Commission for Refugees (CONAREF), and the Permanent Secretariat of the Higher Council of Burkinabe Abroad (CSBE), whose mission is to ensure the protection of Burkinabe and their interests abroad, to facilitate their reintegration into national life, to ensure their full participation in the development of Burkina Faso, and to promote its influence in the world (ibid).

Other migration-related departments include the following (Dabire, 2016; Maastricht Graduate School of Governance, 2017):

The Ministry of Economy and Finance, which includes the Directorate of Population Policies (DPP)

The Ministry of Territorial Administration, Decentralization and Security, which includes the Migration Control Division (DCM) in charge of issuing passports, the Border Police Division, and the Territorial Surveillance Division (DST)

The Ministry of Public Employment, Labour and Social Security, which certifies the work contracts of foreigners. The Ministry of Women, National Solidarity and Family, which has an anti-trafficking committee department

The Ministry of Youth, Vocational Training and Employment

The Ministry of Social Action and National Solidarity.

Burkina Faso also signed bilateral agreements, such as the one established with France in January 2009, which provides that France will take charge of the voluntary repatriation of Burkinabe migrants living in France and their economic integration (ibid).

INTERNAL MIGRATION

When Burkina Faso gained independence, farming, which happened mostly in the rural areas, was the predominant activity of the majority of Burkinabe. However, in 1973, office work started gaining popularity and attracted about 20% of internal migrants to the cities (Migration Policy Institute, 2006). Although there is a paucity of literature on the extent of rural-urban migration in Burkina Faso, in 2015, the urban population as a percentage of the population was estimated at 30% (Lankoande & Sié, 2017). However, with an urban growth rate of 4.99%, the urban population in 2018 was 19.4%, and it is expected to increase to 50.3% by 2050 (UN-Habitat, 2012-2023). According to UN DESA, as cited by the Maastricht Graduate School of Governance (2017), with a 3.1% urbanisation rate, Burkina Faso was one of the fastest-urbanising countries from 1990 to 2014.

According to Langill and her fellow researchers (2023), rural-urban migration is typically driven by the lack of income-generating activities in rural areas, the escalating cost of living, and the need to generate income. Also, poor infrastructural development, vulnerability to natural hazards, and insecurity in the rural areas are some of the push factors contributing to rural-urban migration in Burkina Faso. For example, according to the African Development Bank (2022), 6% to 50% of health facilities and 36.5% to 75.1% of schools in the rural areas of three regions (Centre-West, Centre-South, and Central Plateau regions) did not have access to potable water. The unequal infrastructural development between the urban and rural areas, therefore, contributes to shaping the internal migration patterns in the country, with more people leaving the rural areas to look for opportunities and access services in urban areas.

INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS, CONFLICT AND DISASTERS

Factors such as poverty, inequality, growing non-state armed group (NSAG) activities, intercommunal land clashes, and droughts contribute to internal displacement in Burkina Faso. Although natural disasters also contribute to internal displacement, conflict and violence remain the biggest contributors to internal displacement in the country. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the number of internally displaced people stood at 2,062,534 on 31 March 2023 (UNHCR, 2023a). In terms of conflict and violence, an estimated 707,000 people were internally displaced by August 2024 due to the escalation of fighting between government forces and NSAGs (IDMC, 2024). This figure was the highest recorded within West Africa (ibid). In terms of disasters, by the end of August 2023, floods triggered the displacement of over 24,000 people (ibid). According to the Operational Data Portal (2023), the top five regions with internally displaced persons are the Sahel (501,961), Centre-Nord (493,954), Nord (256,060), Est (219,719), and Boucle du Mouhoun (133,994).

Conflict and violence remain a risk in Burkina Faso. For example, on 21 May 2023, 688 people were displaced from the villages of Bango and Nodin to Ouahigouya, and from 25 to 28 May 2023, 968 people were displaced from Gama to Dipaga city – all the displacements caused by NSAGs (Groupe de Coordination Operationnelle de la Reponse Rapide, 2023). The heightened insecurity levels in the country and the hazardous climatic conditions make displacement imminent. Also, in a country that strongly relies on agriculture for its livelihood, the displacement of people (mostly the vulnerable population) only increases food insecurity and deepens the suffering of the people.

IMMIGRATION

Despite its perceived political challenges, including recurrent coups d’état, political instability, and security crises since independence, the country has managed to maintain stability since the last coup on 30 September 2022. With stability, the country has maintained a favourable economic outlook since 2022, with a growth rate projected at 4.3% in 2025, attracting international migrants (African Development Bank, 2025). Also, the centrality of the country in the sub-region makes it a transit country for migrants attempting to cross into the Maghreb or European countries in search of greener pastures (International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), 2021).

As a result, Burkina Faso has been experiencing a steady and slightly incremental pattern of immigrants in the country. According to UN DESA (2025), the immigrant stock stood at 674,400 in 2010, which increased to 704,700 in 2015, and 724,000 in 2020. It went up slightly again to 739,800 in 2024 (ibid). The top five origin countries of immigrants in Burkina Faso are Ivory Coast, Mali, Ghana, Togo, and Niger (ibid). 

In short, although the country has perceived security concerns, its positive economic outlook and its position as a gateway country to aspiring migrants wishing to go to other parts of the region and Europe makes Burkina Faso an attractive destination for immigrants within the region.

FEMALE MIGRATION

Because of the country's strategic position in the centre of West Africa and its role as a transit country to migrants who intend to make the perilous journey to Europe via the Mediterranean Sea through Morocco, Algeria, or Libya, Burkina Faso attracts female migrants from within the region. According to the International Labour Organization (ILO, 2020), with 0.5 million migrants traversing via Burkina Faso, the country represents a key migration corridor within the region. According to UN DESA (2025), the number of female migrants in Burkina Faso has increased steadily over the past two decades.

In 2000, the number of female migrants in the country stood at 269,800, which went up to 353,500 in 2010 and increased to 379,700 in 2020 and 388,000 in 2024 (ibid). As indicated in the section on Labour Migration below, although many women are not involved in mining, they are strongly involved in the agricultural and domestic sectors of the economy, where they experience exploitation and alleged violations of their rights (United Nations, 2022b). For example, in Burkina Faso, of the roughly 80% of workers employed in the agricultural sector, 82% are women (Dieterich et al., 2016). The agricultural sector in Burkina Faso is not highly regularised, which increases the vulnerability of migrants working within the sector, particularly migrant women.

 MINORS

Although there is no specific data on the demographics of migrant children in Burkina Faso, there is some general information on migrant children and their circumstances. According to UNICEF, as cited by the Migration Data Portal (2020), in 2017, 21% of the migrant population in Burkina Faso were children below the age of 18, and it dropped slightly to 20% in 2019. The increased presence of non-state armed groups has contributed to the internal displacement of children in the country. According to UNICEF (2023), of the more than 2 million people who have been forced to flee their homes due to violence, 50% are children. The displacement of children increases their anxiety, loneliness, and insecurity. Although the law provides that the children of migrant workers are entitled to all levels of education as nationals, the deterioration of the political situation in the country has led to the closure of several schools, which has adversely affected some migrant children (United Nations, 2022). However, non-governmental organisations, such as the International Catholic Migration Commission, help to provide educational and psychosocial support to migrant children (International Catholic Migration Commission, n.d).

REFUGEES AND ASYLUM SEEKERS

Although Burkina Faso is confronted with its own political, economic, and natural disaster challenges, it still hosts refugees and asylum seekers, mostly from neighbouring countries. According to the UNHCR (2025), in January 2025, there were an estimated 41,372 refugees and asylum seekers in Burkina Faso. More than 90% of these refugees and asylum seekers originate from Mali (39,295). Other refugees and asylum seekers come from Niger (1,252), Togo (489), the Central African Republic (151), other countries (87), Chad (58), Burundi (25), and Congo (20) (ibid).

The Malian refugees live mostly in two refugee camps – Mentao and Goudoubo. Due to the outbreak of violence orchestrated by non-state armed groups, both camps were closed, forcing the refugees to move into host communities where they encountered inadequate shelter, lack of clean water, and a shortage of health centres (UNHCR, 2021). However, the situation has improved, and the camps have reopened and are hosting refugees (ibid). The presence of refugees in Burkina Faso, an origin country of refugees with enormous security challenges, highlights the insecurity challenges within the Sahel region.

EMIGRATION

Migration in Burkina Faso has long been a traditional way of life for Burkinabe, with seasonal migration now replaced by years spent abroad (CIA World Factbook, 2025). Under French colonisation and the Colonial Development Act of 1921, Burkina Faso (then named Haute-Volta) became a main labour source for agricultural and factory work in Côte d’Ivoire (Dabire, 2016). Historically, between the world wars, Burkinabe also migrated to work in Ghana, Mali, and Senegal (CIA World Factbook, 2025). Between 1975 and 1985, according to official census data, 808,800 Burkinabe were living abroad – predominantly in Ivory Coast, 74.4% in 1975, and 91.2% in 1985, with 80% being male (Some, 1991). Although the migration pattern continued after independence, with many Burkinabe migrating to other parts of Africa, there was a growing desire among migrants to go to Europe as it was associated with a higher status (Westh Olsen, 2014). According to UN DESA (2025), there has been a steady increase in the stock of the emigrant population from Burkina Faso. For example, the number of Burkinabe living abroad stood at 1.6 million in 2010, which went up to 1.8 million in 2015, and 1.9 million in 2020. In 2024, it increased to 2.1 million (ibid). The drivers of emigration from Burkina Faso include socio-political instability, the deteriorating security environment, and unemployment (African Development Bank, 2021). Unlike in the past when emigration was strongly influenced by the search for employment opportunities abroad (labour emigration), recently, the emigration process is increasingly influenced by the search for safety and better economic opportunities.

LABOUR MIGRATION

Ranked 185th out of 193 countries in the 2023-2024 United Nations Development Programme’s Human Development Index (HDI) report and with a 57% unemployment rate, Burkina Faso is well known within the West African region as a reservoir of labour and not as a country that attracts migrant labour (African Development Bank, 2021; United Nations, 2022a; World Bank, 2024). The withdrawal of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger from ECOWAS to form the Alliance of the Sahel States in 2023 has a bearing on labour migration within the region as the ECOWAS Protocol on free movement no longer applies to these countries.

Although there is no current data on the number of migrant labourers in the country, the 2006 census indicates that migrant labourers typically came from Mali, Togo, Niger, Benin, and Nigeria (Maastricht Graduate School of Governance, 2017). Although Burkina Faso is a signatory to the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families, the United Nations Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner notes that a staggering number of migrant labourers are informally employed in the mining, agricultural, and domestic sectors of the economy where they are exploited and allegedly violated (United Nations, 2022b).

HUMAN TRAFFICKING

Burkina Faso is a source, transit, and destination country for victims of human trafficking. In 2024, the government of Burkina Faso was put on a Tier 2 watch list as it does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking (US Department of State, 2024). However, it is making a significant effort to do so (ibid). For the second time in four years, the transition government reported the persecution and conviction of traffickers. Without disaggregating the data between sex and labour traffickers, the transition government reported persecuting 57 alleged traffickers and convicting 35 traffickers (ibid). Except for 2021, when the government referred 1,532 victims, most of them children, for support services, the government did not refer any victims for support services in the preceding years (ibid).

The Ministry of Gender and Family operates centres that rely heavily on local NGOs and international organisations that provide social services such as psychosocial services, medical services, food, and short-term shelter to support victims (ibid). Victims of human trafficking are exploited both abroad and in Burkina Faso. For example, traffickers exploit children from Burkina Faso and abroad in forced labour in agriculture, artisanal gold panning and washing, street vending, begging, and domestic servitude (ibid). Traffickers under the pretence of offering lucrative opportunities for young girls and women in the Middle East and Europe subsequently exploit them in sex trafficking (ibid). The challenging economic situation in the country, characterised by insecurity and high levels of unemployment, increases the vulnerability of youths as they struggle to escape poverty and are easily preyed upon by traffickers with false promises of job opportunities.

REMITTANCES

Remittance flow constitutes an important income-generating source in Burkina Faso. Although remittance flow has dropped remarkably as a percentage of the gross domestic product (GDP) from its all-time high of 9.4% in 1986 to 3.1% in 2022 (World Bank, 2023), as an emigrant country, remittance flow continuously contributes to the country’s development. As a country that is highly dependent on agriculture (80% of the population practices subsistence agriculture), one may be tempted to believe that remittance flow contributes immensely to agricultural development. On the contrary, remittance flow has a negative impact on agricultural development in the country (Dedewanou & Tossou, 2020).

However, according to Tapsoba and Hubert (2022), remittance flow helps to diversify the sources of income and avert the shocks associated with changing climatic conditions that harm agriculture. They further postulated that, in addition to increasing household consumption, remittance flow helps to widen the inequality gap in Burkina Faso between those who receive such payment and those who do not (ibid). Because of its contribution to the economy of the country, there is a need for the government to take the necessary steps to facilitate and enhance the flow of remittances in the country.

RETURNS AND RETURNEES

With two coup d’etats in nine months in 2022, Burkina Faso's political landscape was plunged into uncertainty, which adversely affected the prospects of Burkinabes who intended to return home. Before the two coup d’etats, some Burkinabe, especially within the continent, were voluntarily seeking assistance through international NGOs to return home. For example, in 2019, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), through a joint initiative with the European Union, facilitated the return of 59 Burkinabe migrants from Cameroon and 60 migrant children from Libya (IOM, 2019a; IOM, 2019b). Returnees were assisted with their reintegration process and provided with medical and psychosocial support (IOM, 2019a). Between January 2017 and July 2020, the IOM, through its Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration (AVRR) programme, facilitated the return of more than 3,000 Burkinabe (IOM, 2020). With the political uncertainty in the country, characterised by widespread human rights abuses and the closure of an estimated 6,334 schools, the UNHCR advises that people should not be forced to return to Burkina Faso (UNHCR, 2023d). The political situation in the country does not guarantee a sustainable reintegration of returnees in their host communities.

INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

The main international actors working with migration in Burkina Faso since 2003 are the UNHCR and the IOM (Dabire, 2016):

• United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees: The UNHCR provides life-saving protection and assistance, distributes basic relief items to refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs), and sets up new community shelters to accommodate the growing numbers of IDPs.
• International Organization for Migration: The IOM has launched MIDA (Migration for Development in Africa) with the main objective of assisting and facilitating the transfer of skills, resources and expertise of the highly skilled African diaspora to their countries of origin.
• Tocsin Association: This association provides support to the diaspora, serving as a transmission belt between the concerns formulated by the diaspora and public authorities.