Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Abidjan (Agenzia Fides) -The voluntary repatriation of Ivorian refugees in Liberia should have taken place in July. The Ebola outbreak in the neighboring Country has instead led the Ivorian authorities to close the borders to prevent the spread of the virus, blocking the return of refugees. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), since the beginning of January 2014, 12,000 refugees have returned to Côte d'Ivoire and 38,600 are waiting for the government to reopen the Country's borders to allow them to return home. On July 11, about 392 Ivorian refugees in Liberia, who arrived during the post-election crisis in 2010-2011, were rejected at the border by the Ivorian authorities as they were preparing themselves to return home. The Government has been forced to close its borders for security reasons engaging in the organization of preventive measures and information on the virus. The border will be reopened once the situation is under control, said UNHCR. The Health Minister of Côte d'Ivoire revealed that about 100 Liberians were sent home after trying to enter the Country illegally. Since 14 September 2,710 cases of the virus and 1,459 deaths have been reported in Liberia. (AP) (Agenzia Fides 22/09/2014)
