FILE PHOTO: A detained woman sits inside a vehicle surrounded by federal agents, as immigration enforcement continues after a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent fatally shot Renee Nicole Good on January 7 during an immigration raid, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S., January 21, 2026. REUTERS/Leah Millis/File Photo
36 African migrants sue Cameroon over US deportation transfers
Their lawyer, Me Joseph Fru Awah, argues that Cameroon cannot serve as a transit hub for removals to persecution or torture.
A contentious US policy enabling the transfer of undocumented foreign nationals to third countries has sparked legal action in Yaoundé. Thirty-six African migrants expelled from the US to Cameroon in early 2026 have filed a lawsuit seeking legal protection and the suspension of Washington’s deportation agreement, announced their lawyer, Me Joseph Fru Awah.
Legal battle for protection and residency
The lawsuit, lodged with the Yaoundé administrative tribunal, demands the suspension of Cameroon’s migration accord with the US and seeks to grant the 36 deportees legal status to remain in Cameroon. Their primary concern is avoiding repatriation to their countries of origin, where they allege risks of persecution or torture, Me Fru Awah stated in a press release.
« Cameroon cannot be used as a transit point to send people back to persecution or torture, » the lawyer asserted.
Diverse origins, shared vulnerability
The group includes nationals from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Angola, Ethiopia, Sierra Leone, Kenya, Senegal, Zimbabwe, and Morocco. Protected by US courts against deportation to their home countries, they were expelled to Cameroon between January and May 2026 and now face potential removal from Cameroon to their original destinations.
Upon arrival in Yaoundé, the migrants have been confined to a facility managed by Cameroonian authorities in coordination with the International Organization for Migration (IOM). They remain without legal documentation or clear residency status and face movement restrictions, according to Me Fru Awah.
Financial incentives and diplomatic pressure
Cameroon is among several African nations that have agreed to accept deportees from the US, including the Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Rwanda, South Sudan, Eswatini, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Sierra Leone. Reports indicate Washington has offered multi-million-dollar deals and threatened visa restrictions to persuade these countries to participate.
While US authorities argue they cannot return migrants to their countries of origin, they maintain the right to transfer them to third countries.
