Liberia: Information on whether any Liberian nationals are being repatriated to Liberia under the auspices of the United Nations (UN) or any other agency or group and on the treatment of rejected asylum seekers
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 February 1998 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | LBR28783.E |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Liberia: Information on whether any Liberian nationals are being repatriated to Liberia under the auspices of the United Nations (UN) or any other agency or group and on the treatment of rejected asylum seekers, 1 February 1998, LBR28783.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6ab7038.html [accessed 28 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
According to Country Reports on Human Rights Practics 1997 "as many as 480,000 Liberian refugees remain in neighbouring West African countries" (1998). According to a 2 September 1997 Agence France Presse (AFP) report, the UNHCR assisted the return of 1,300 refugees from Sierra Leone, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Guinea and Nigeria. This article states that according to ECOMOG forces deployed to keep security at border posts, about 80,000 Liberian refugees had voluntarily repatriated since January 1997 (ibid.).
In a 16 1998 February telephone interview with the Research Directorate, a researcher on Liberia for Human Rights Watch, Africa in New York, stated that President Taylor has given assurances that returning refugees will not be harassed. She further stated that Liberian refugees in neighbouring countries are willing to return home and some have been moving "back and forth because services in refugee camps are better than those in Liberia." However, she added, refugees belonging to the Krahn and Mandingo ethnic groups and those vocally opposed to the government may face problems upon return.
Information on the treatment of rejected asylum asylum seekers if returned to Liberia could not be found among the sources currently available to the Research Directorate.
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.
References
Agence France Presse (AFP). 2 September 1997. "Un mois après l'investure de M. Taylor, le Liberia confronté à la misère et l'insécurité." (AFP MAIL
Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1997. 1998. United States Department of State: Washington, DC: United States Government Printing Office. [Sharenet]
Researcher on Liberia for Human Rights Watch (Africa), New York. 16 February 1998. Telephone interview.
Additional Sources Consulted
Africa Confidential [London]. Weekly
Africa Research Bulletin: Political, Social and Cultural Series [London]. Monthly.
New African [London]. Monthly.
West Africa [London]. Weekly.
Electronic sources: IRB Databases, LEXIS/NEXIS, Internet, World News Connection (WNC).
Three oral sources consulted did not provide information on the requested subject.
