By Abraham D. Cooper
The Commander of the Liberia Immigration Service (LIS) in Grand Gedeh, Alex Kpakolo, has disclosed that a total of 48,000 Burkinabé nationals were enrolled between May 20 and August 20, 2025.
Speaking at the official closing ceremony of the enrollment exercise, Commander Kpakolo announced that the process has officially ended and that no further Burkinabé nationals will be permitted to enter Grand Gedeh under the current arrangement.
The ceremony, which took place on August 20, brought together members of the joint security, representatives of the Burkinabé community, forest owners, and county officials.
Commander Kpakolo praised the coordination efforts and highlighted the scale of the registration process, which spanned three months. “The enrollment started since May 20, 2025, and ended August 20, 2025, with the total of 48,000 Burkinabés,” he stated.
Following the conclusion of the enrollment phase, LIS Director for Operations Dennis B. Sartee announced the next step: issuing resident permits to those registered. Each permit will cost $150 USD per person.
Sartee commended the cooperation between LIS and local authorities, stating that the operation was successful due to joint efforts across sectors.
However, the mass enrollment has raised concerns among some citizens and policy observers.
“The mass enrollment of 48,000 Burkinabé nationals within just three months in Grand Gedeh County raises urgent legal, security, and governance concerns,” said Theo Davis, a commentator on migration and national policy. “While documentation and regulation of foreign nationals is necessary, the manner, scale, and speed of this process demands closer scrutiny.”
Davis, in a Facebook comment session questioned the apparent lack of legislative or judicial oversight in the operation. “Liberia’s immigration framework requires that the admission and residence of foreign nationals be guided by clear statutory provisions, parliamentary oversight, and national security assessments,” he said. “The current process, as reported, appears largely administrative, with little evidence of broader involvement.”
He further warned that without a clear national migration policy and transparent procedures, the country risks demographic and social tensions, particularly in border communities like Grand Gedeh.
“Liberia must not reduce immigration management to a revenue-generating exercise,” Davis added. “Instead, the LIS, working in concert with the Legislature and relevant ministries, should establish a comprehensive migration policy anchored in law and national security priorities… Failure to institute these safeguards risks transforming what should be a regulatory process into a destabilizing factor in the not-too-distant future.”
