Liberia to register 140,000 migrants
Government launches biometric exercise for foreign nationals, primarily from Burkina Faso, due to security concerns.
Liberia will begin registering approximately 140,000 foreign nationals on November 4, 2026, in an effort to manage undocumented migration and bolster border security. The exercise, coordinated by the Liberia Refugee Repatriation and Resettlement Commission (LRRRC), the Liberia Immigration Service (LIS), and the National Identification Registry (NIR), aims to create a database of foreigners in the country.
LRRRC Executive Director Cllr. Jeror Cole Bangalu announced the initiative on November 2, stating it was directed by President Joseph Nyuma Boakai. The registration will occur in Grand Gedeh, Nimba, River Gee, and Maryland counties from November 5 to December 31, 2026, following a launch in Grand Gedeh County. This action follows Bangalu's June 4, 2026, report to the President on the presence of 140,000 Burkinabè nationals in southeastern Liberia.
The government's concerns stem from the large number of Burkinabè nationals, many reportedly involved in agriculture and mining, and the challenges of monitoring them in remote areas. The biometric exercise seeks to identify individuals, their locations, and immigration status to improve national identity management and enforce immigration laws.
Why it mattersThe registration exercise directly affects foreign nationals residing in Liberia, particularly those from Burkina Faso, by requiring them to provide biometric data for identification and status verification.