The Liberian Refugees Repatriation and Resettlement Commission (LRRRC) has initiated the registration and profiling of Burkinabé nationals in Maryland and Grand Kru Counties as concerns rise over the increasing number of this group of foreigners in southeastern Liberia.
The purpose of this exercise is to accurately record the number of Burkinabé individuals for inclusion in Liberia's database and international records. The process also aims to grant them political asylum and freedom of movement, acknowledging their displacement from a war-torn country.
According to Mulbah Gbormulukue, the Region Six Coordinator of the LRRRC, the profiling exercise will facilitate the issuance of identification cards to the Burkinabé migrants, enabling them to move freely within Liberia.
The process will also assess their professional skills for potential participation in the local job market. The ID cards provided will ensure that the Burkinabé can navigate the country without hindrance and engage in sustainable livelihood activities.
"When people come from a war-devastated country and seek asylum in another country, they must be processed in order to have accurate data about them. As an ECOWAS member country, that is why we conduct these exercises," he said. "The profiling process will afford the Burkinabe the opportunity to have ID cards for their movement in Liberia."
He intimated that LRRRC will initiate agriculture farming training for the unskilled Burkinabé and that the Government of Liberia and other stakeholders will be involved.
Mr. Gbormulukue emphasized the importance of complying with proper immigration procedures and cautioned against harboring undocumented migrants, particularly those from conflict-affected regions.
The LRRRC, in collaboration with the Liberia Immigration Service and other security agencies, is working to regularize the status of Burkinabé individuals residing in Liberia.
The registration process in Maryland County has commenced and is expected to register approximately three thousand five hundred Burkinabé migrants over the span of one month.
