Population figures
Total country population
23,840,247
Forcibly displaced population
Refugees (under UNHCR's mandate):
38,469
Asylum-seekers:
1,971
IDPs (of concern to UNHCR):
2,062,534
Other people in need of international protection:
0
Other
Statelessness persons
0
Host community
0
Others of concern to UNHCR
0
Country context
Burkina Faso, located in West Africa and bordered by six countries, is currently facing one of the world's fastest-growing displacement and protection crises. As of 31 March 2023, government authorities reported that over 2 million people were internally displaced (IDPs). In addition, the country hosts 41,553 refugees— mainly from Mali— according to data updated by the Government as of 31 March 2025.
Burkina Faso is party to the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol, the 1969 Organization of African Unity (OAU) Convention Governing the Specific Aspects of Refugee Problems in Africa, as well as the 1954 Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons and the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness thus over two million people are at risk of statelessness in the country, mainly due to the loss of identity documents caused by the crisis.
...The security crisis has impacted the education sector with over 14,000 schools closed in 2024. Forcibly displaced children are often relocated to areas with limited or no access to educational facilities, increasing their vulnerability to various protection risks, including abduction, recruitment, child exploitation, trafficking, and more.
The country has made considerable efforts to address the legal and social inclusion of refugees and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), including strengthening local solutions, promoting social cohesion, and enhancing access to services like health, education, and livelihoods. However, the humanitarian context remains fragile, with challenges linked to resource scarcity, tensions impacting social cohesion, and the need for sustainable and durable solutions for forcibly displaced populations.
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