Emigration from Guinea, primarily among young people, continues to be driven by socio-economic factors, with neighbouring countries remaining the main destination. Meanwhile, irregular migration to Europe has intensified since 2014, with migrants taking complex routes via sub-Saharan Africa and the Maghreb. In 2024, a new migration route to the United States emerged.
Currently, more than 10,000 Guineans reside legally in Belgium, making Guinea the third most represented African nationality after the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Cameroon. Since 2023, diplomatic tensions between Guinea and Belgium have increased over the deportation of migrants. Campaigns to discourage irregular migration have been carried out in Guinea by Belgium.
Although the Transition Charter guarantees freedom of movement, the 2024 US State Department report highlights that this freedom is sometimes restricted by the Guinean authorities. The 2025 Constitution reaffirms this right. The 2016 Penal Code contains no provisions that criminalise Guinean nationals for seeking international protection abroad and/or for leaving their country illegally.
Returns from Belgium are either voluntary or forced. Both the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the Immigration Office (OE), which are responsible for these returns, state that they never inform the Guinean authorities if an individual has applied for international protection. Between January 2022 and August 2025, the OE organised 30 returns, with or without an escort, while the IOM returned 18 people voluntarily.
The special police station at Conakry International Airport is responsible for controlling the movement of people. Passport checks are carried out upon arrival. According to the Organisation guinéenne de lutte contre la migration irrégulière (OGLMI), Guinean nationals returning to the country voluntarily or forcibly undergo the same checks as other passengers, even if they are travelling with a laissez-passer.
None of the sources consulted by Cedoca mention any problems encountered by returning nationals who left the country illegally and/or applied for international protection in Belgium, or who stayed there.
Policy
The policy implemented by the Commissioner General is based on a thorough analysis of accurate and up-to-date information on the general situation in the country of origin. This information is collated in a professional manner from various, objective sources, including the EUAA, the UNHCR, relevant international human rights organisations, non-governmental organisations, professional literature and coverage in the media. When determining policy, the Commissioner General does not only examine the COI Focuses written by Cedoca and published on this website, as these deal with just one aspect of the general situation in the country of origin. The fact that a COI Focus could be out-of-date does not mean that the policy that is being implemented by the Commissioner General is no longer up-to-date.
When assessing an application for asylum, the Commissioner General not only considers the actual situation in the country of origin at the moment of decision-making, he also takes into account the individual situation and personal circumstances of the applicant for international protection. Every asylum application is examined individually. An applicant must comprehensively demonstrate that he has a well-founded fear of persecution or that there is a clear personal risk of serious harm. He cannot, therefore, simply refer back to the general conditions in his country, but must also present concrete, credible and personal facts.
There is no policy paper for this country available on the website.