Togo Hosts Regional Talks on Refugee Protection, Non-Refoulement

Lomé is hosting another ministerial meeting this week on national security and refugee protection. Togo, Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana are seeking to strengthen coordination in response to forced displacement linked to instability in the Sahel. The meeting is the second round of the regional dialogue, following the inaugural gathering in 2025. That meeting resulted in the Lomé Declaration, which calls for stronger safeguards for the principle of non-refoulement, simplified refugee status determination procedures and closer coordination among the five countries. Growing Pressure on Coastal Countries By the end of 2025, more than 170,000 refugees and asylum seekers had been registered in Togo, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana, according to data presented at the meeting. Most were from Burkina Faso. UNHCR data show the extent of the pressure. By the end of 2024, the four coastal countries were already hosting 135,300 registered refugees and asylum seekers in their northern regions, up 83% from a year earlier. Including people awaiting registration, the total was close to 160,000. Togo has received a significant share of those displaced. By the end of 2024, the country was hosting nearly 50,000 refugees and asylum seekers. In the Savanes region alone, nearly 40,000 refugees and asylum seekers were recorded in January 2025. Beyond protection needs, the growing refugee population is putting additional pressure on social services and host communities. In January 2026, T