The Ivorian refugees started streaming across the border into Liberia in 2010 when violence broke out following a hotly contested presidential election.

Political violence and uncertainty since that election has sent more refugees across the border into Liberia.

The weekend repatriation of the last batch of these refugees was overseen by Filippo Grandi, the head of the the UN refugee agency, UNHCR.

The evacuation means those opting to remain in Liberia will now be there as ordinary Ivorian citizens living in a foreign country, the UNHCR chief said.

Mr Grandi was expected to make a formal declaration in the Ivorian capital Abidjan later on Monday about the status of the asylum seekers who choose to remain.

Shortly before crossing the border with the refugees, he told journalists in the Liberian border town of Butuo that over 90% of Ivorians had now returned to their country.

"The country [Ivory Coast] is peaceful, it’s prosperous., it’s reconciled and they have a bright future there,” he said.

He added that a small number of refugees had opted to stay in Liberia because they had some links there, including by marriage.

He said Liberia had agreed they could stay there under its protection.

The Liberian refugee agency has lately called on the Ivorian government to grant passports to its citizens remaining in Liberia in order to process them as Ivorian nationals living in Liberia.

Mr Grandi tweeted about the event: