Signal Sahel displacement stays regional: Mali and Burkina Faso under 2% of EU asylum claims

Summary

Eurasia Group stresses that the displacement caused by the Sahel crisis is mainly a regional problem rather than one that crosses continents. In 2024, Mali accounted for only 1.8% of asylum applications in the European Union and Burkina Faso for 0.5%. The real pressure falls on neighbouring states, especially Cote d'Ivoire, which now hosts many refugees from both countries. The report expects these movements to sharpen social tensions within the region. It also expects the crisis to undermine the regional bloc ECOWAS and deter investors.