36 African migrants sue Cameroon over US deportation deal
Thirty-six African migrants recently deported from the United States to Yaoundé have filed a legal challenge in Cameroon, seeking to suspend a bilateral migration agreement with Washington and prevent their forced return to their countries of origin.
Legal battle to halt deportation agreements
A statement from their legal representative, Me Joseph Fru Awah, confirmed that the lawsuit, filed at the Yaoundé Administrative Court, demands the immediate suspension of Cameroon’s deportation pact with the US. The migrants, originally from nine African nations, argue that their temporary stay in Cameroon violates international law by exposing them to further persecution.
Me Joseph Fru Awah emphasized, « Cameroon cannot serve as a transit hub to send individuals back into harm’s way. » The legal team contends that the country’s role in these deportations contravenes both domestic and international refugee protections.
From US protection to Cameroonian limbo
These individuals, who had been shielded from deportation under US law, were forcibly transferred to Cameroon between January and May 2026. Despite their protected status in the US, they now face the threat of expulsion from Cameroon to their home countries, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Angola, Ethiopia, Sierra Leone, Kenya, Senegal, Zimbabwe, and Morocco.
Since arriving in Yaoundé, the group has been confined to a center managed by Cameroonian authorities in collaboration with the International Organization for Migration (IOM). They remain undocumented, unable to secure legal residency, and subject to severe movement restrictions. Me Joseph Fru Awah described their situation as « a state of legal limbo with no path to stability. »
Financial incentives and coercion allegations
Reports indicate that the US administration has offered multi-million-dollar agreements and threatened visa restrictions to persuade African and other nations to accept deported migrants. Cameroon is among several African countries—including Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Rwanda, South Sudan, Eswatini, and Sierra Leone—that have entered into such arrangements.
The US government argues that while it cannot deport individuals to their home countries, sending them to third nations remains permissible. However, critics argue that this strategy circumvents legal protections and shifts responsibility onto vulnerable nations.
The lawsuit reflects growing resistance to Washington’s deportation policies, particularly in Africa, where concerns over human rights violations and legal accountability persist.
