Population figures
Total country population
14,080,072
Forcibly displaced population
Refugees (under UNHCR's mandate):
12,229
Asylum-seekers:
4,772
IDPs (of concern to UNHCR):
8,785
Other people in need of international protection:
0
Other
Statelessness persons
0
Host community
0
Others of concern to UNHCR
0
Country context
Benin is a coastal country in West Africa, bordered by Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east, and Burkina Faso and Niger to the north. Benin hosts refugees, primarily from Burkina Faso, and internally displaced persons (IDPs) who have fled the northern and north-western regions of the country due to incursions by non-state armed groups. These displaced populations often reside in areas near the border with Burkina Faso.
Benin is a state party to the 1951 UN Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, its 1967 Protocol, and the African Union Convention Governing Specific Aspects of Refugee Problems in Africa. These conventions were incorporated into domestic law in December 2022 through Law n°2022-31, which governs the status of refugees and stateless persons in Benin.
...On 20 November 2024, a Presidential decree (no. 2024-1362) was issued regulating the powers, composition, organisation and operation of the National Commission for Refugees and Stateless Persons (CNRA). This decree aims to implement the 2022 Law on asylum and statelessness. The National Commission for Refugees and Stateless Persons (SP-CNRA), under the Ministry of the Interior and Security, is responsible for coordinating the response to the needs of displaced populations. This includes overseeing the registration process, which is currently being piloted in the north-western regions of the country. Benin has undertaken legal reforms to address Stateless.
In 2022, the country adopted a new nationality code that introduced the principle of jus soli, granting nationality based on birth within the country's territory. This change aims to prevent childhood statelessness by ensuring that children born in Benin acquire nationality.
Show more
