Migrants expelled from the US challenge Cameroon deportation agreement before Yaoundé court
Thirty-six African nationals, forcibly returned from the United States to Cameroon, have filed a legal challenge at the administrative court in Yaoundé. Their petition demands the immediate suspension of the bilateral arrangement that enabled their transfer and seeks legal protection to prevent further deportation to their countries of origin, where they claim persecution risks persist.
- Immigration
Thirty-six African migrants who were expelled from the United States have filed a lawsuit in Cameroon’s administrative court to challenge a deportation agreement between Yaoundé and Washington. The case, brought before the Yaoundé tribunal, seeks to halt the enforcement of this deal that permits the transfer of irregular migrants from the US to Cameroon. The claimants are also requesting legal recognition that would allow them to remain in Cameroon without fear of further deportation.
According to their legal representative, the migrants had previously obtained US court rulings blocking their removal to their home countries. Despite these protections, they were transferred to Cameroon between January and May 2026. Their lawyer argues that several clients face credible threats of persecution or torture if sent back. « Cameroon cannot serve as a transit point to return people to persecution or torture, » the lawyer stated.
Legal limbo and restricted freedoms
The migrants, hailing from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Angola, Ethiopia, Sierra Leone, Kenya, Senegal, Zimbabwe, and Morocco, allege they arrived in Cameroon without proper identity documents or clear legal status. They remain confined to a reception center supported by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Yaoundé. Their legal team contends that their movements continue to be heavily restricted despite their presence on Cameroonian soil.
Cameroon is among several African nations that have agreed to accept migrants expelled from the US under a third-country transfer mechanism. Other participating countries include the Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, and Eswatini. The US administration maintains that when court rulings prevent deportation to a migrant’s country of origin, transfer to a third country remains a legal option.
The Yaoundé court’s ruling on this matter could set a precedent for how such agreements are applied across the country.
