Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, and Togo experienced a significant increase in the number of refugees and asylum-seekers from the central Sahel in 2024. By the end of December, the four countries were hosting 135,300 registered refugees and asylum-seekers in their northern regions, marking an 83% increase over the year. The vast majority are from Burkina Faso, with a minority from the Niger. It is estimated that nearly 22,392 people are still awaiting registration in the four countries due to limited registration capacities caused by a lack of resources and security constraints. The total estimated number of refugees and asylum-seekers in the northern regions of the four countries is thus close to 160,000.