MONROVIA – The Liberian Senate has mandated its committees on Defense, Security and Intelligence, Internal Affairs, and Judiciary to launch a full-scale investigation into the growing influx of Burkina Faso nationals reportedly settling across River Gee County and neighboring parts of southeastern Liberia.
The Senate’s decision followed a formal communication from River Gee County Senator Jonathan Boycharles Sogbie, who raised what he called “grave national security and territorial concerns” over the continued entry and settlement of Burkinabes in several rural communities.
In his letter addressed to Senate President Pro-Tempore Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence and read during Thursday’s session, October 23, Senator Sogbie warned that the situation, if left unchecked, could threaten peace and stability in the region.
“The unregulated settlement and occupation of vast portions of land by these foreign nationals pose a serious security and territorial challenge to our country,” Senator Sogbie cautioned. “We must not wait for this matter to escalate into a full-blown national crisis.”
The River Gee lawmaker noted that citizens, traditional leaders, and local authorities have expressed deep worry over the growing number of Burkinabe migrants, many of whom are said to have entered the country through porous border points in search of fertile farmland.
According to him, the influx has already begun to create tension and mistrust among local residents amid fears of land disputes, competition for resources, and cultural clashes.
“The Senate must take immediate legislative and administrative action to protect the peace, security, and territorial integrity of our country,” Senator Sogbie urged his colleagues.
He also called on the Senate to exercise its oversight responsibility by ensuring that relevant government ministries and agencies — particularly the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Ministry of Justice, and the Liberia Immigration Service (LIS) — coordinate efforts to assess, regulate, and monitor the presence of foreign nationals in border communities.
The Senate’s joint committee has been given two weeks to investigate the situation comprehensively and report its findings and recommendations for possible legislative or administrative measures.
The influx of Burkinabe nationals into Liberia’s southeastern corridor — particularly River Gee, Grand Gedeh, and Maryland counties — has been an ongoing issue of concern for both local leaders and national authorities. In previous instances, the Liberia Immigration Service has undertaken documentation exercises, while others were reportedly repatriated to Burkina Faso via Côte d’Ivoire.
Many of the migrants are believed to be farmers seeking new lands for cultivation, but their illegal entry and unregulated settlement patterns have sparked security and sovereignty concerns within border communities.
As the Senate’s inquiry begins, citizens in the affected areas are watching closely, hoping that the government’s intervention will bring clarity and control to what some have described as a growing “shadow migration crisis” in the Southeast.
