Cameroon: African migrants expelled from the US challenge deportation agreement in court
Thirty-six African nationals, forcibly returned from the United States to Cameroon, have filed a lawsuit with the administrative court in Yaoundé. They are seeking an immediate halt to the deportation mechanism that brought them to Cameroonian soil and urgent legal protection to prevent a second expulsion to their home countries, where they claim persecution risks.
- Immigration
A coalition of 36 African migrants, expelled from the US, has initiated legal proceedings in Cameroon to contest the bilateral deportation pact between Yaoundé and Washington. Their legal representative, Barrister Joseph Fru Awah, confirmed the lawsuit filed with the Yaoundé administrative tribunal, aiming to suspend the agreement that permits the transfer of undocumented migrants from US soil to Cameroonian territory. The plaintiffs are also seeking formal residency status to secure their presence in Cameroon.
In their court filing, the migrants argue that their return to their countries of origin would expose them to persecution or torture. According to their legal team, several clients originate from nations where they face credible threats, making Cameroon an unsuitable destination for secondary deportation. “Cameroon cannot serve as an intermediary ground for sending individuals back to persecution or torture,” Barrister Fru Awah stated during a press briefing.
Administrative limbo fuels legal battle
The group includes nationals from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Angola, Ethiopia, Sierra Leone, Kenya, Senegal, Zimbabwe, and Morocco. Records show that prior to their transfer, many had obtained US court orders blocking their deportation to their home countries. However, between January and May 2026, they were forcibly relocated to Cameroon, where they currently reside in a temporary facility managed with support from the International Organization for Migration (IOM). Their legal team points out that none of the 36 individuals possess valid identification documents or a defined legal status in Cameroon, and their movements remain restricted.
The case raises critical questions about Cameroon’s role in a broader US-led deportation strategy involving multiple African states. Under this framework, when US courts block deportation to a migrant’s country of origin, the individual may be transferred to a third country—including Cameroon, which has joined the Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, and Eswatini in accepting this arrangement. The outcome of this lawsuit could set a precedent for how such transfers are enforced across the continent.