By: James Myking Suah
Barclayville, Grand Kru County, Nov 28 — The Liberia Immigration Service (LIS) has arrested twenty nationals from Burkina Faso and issued instructions for their immediate departure from Grand Kru County following an investigation into their unauthorized presence for agricultural work.
The LIS executed the arrest on Thursday, November 27, 2025. The group was intercepted at the Topoh Checkpoint in Barclayville after entering the county through the Behwan Checkpoint at approximately 11:45 a.m.
Augustine Gbolego, Commander of the Liberia Immigration Service in Grand Kru, confirmed the arrest to journalists. Preliminary investigations indicated that residents of Picnicess had sought the assistance of the Burkinabè nationals for farming activities in the area.
Commander Gbolego revealed that his office had received a directive in mid-September from the LIS headquarters in Monrovia, strictly instructing all county commanders to prohibit the settlement of Burkinabè nationals within their jurisdictions.
In accordance with this mandate, the twenty individuals are prohibited from residing or working within the county, leading to the decision for their removal.
Officials from Picnicess, including both the town chief and the clan chief, openly acknowledged their role in facilitating the arrival of the individuals from Burkina Faso.
They defended their decision by stating that the town is facing severe food shortages, attributing the crisis to the insufficient number of residents actively engaged in agricultural activities.
“People say they are fishing, but they are not serious. We need food,” the town chief said. “Only five people here are actively farming. That’s why we decided to invite people who can help produce food for our survival,” the clan chief added.
Commander Gbolego provided assurance that the Liberia Immigration Service will facilitate the safe escort of the 20 Burkinabè individuals to the Ivory Coast border, ensuring their departure from Grand Kru County and Liberia as a whole. The action underscores the LIS’s strict adherence to its headquarters’ directive regarding the settlement of foreign nationals in the region.
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